Audrey Poe Borden

Audrey Poe Borden, who passed away September 18 at the age of 93, was a journalist, teacher, artist and story teller. Charming, witty and in her day a great southern beauty, she was an independent, inspirational woman widely loved by the community, her students, her family – and her many pets. A Memphian by birth and a graduate of Memphis State University in 1947, Audrey achieved a master’s degree in 1950 from Columbia Journalism School in New York City and traveled extensively in post-war Europe and the Middle East as a reporter for the Scripps Howard News Agency. Returning to the U.S., Audrey met her future husband, widower Arthur Borden, an attorney in New York, who had been seeking a Columbia University graduate to assist him on a research project. The article was never written, but this period, too, was transformative. Audrey raised Erica, Ross and Mark, and gave birth to a further three children, Lindsay, Andrew and Anthony. Audrey cut a dashing figure in the world of New York, with her Delta drawl, fiery red hair and boundless enthusiasm. Following divorce, Audrey’s affection for Tennessee led her to the farming community of Riverside, Lewis County. Returning to her roots brought her closer to her parents, beloved sister Lucile, brother-in-law Glenn Poague, her brother, Col. Clarence Lee Poe, Sr, and sister-in-law, Alma. Taking up her original profession, Audrey taught school, and studied for a further degree in special education – a discipline which encapsulated her ethos of giving everyone the best chance in life. Her accomplishments as an educator were recognized in 1987 when Lewis County – on the initiative of a group of students – officially declared an “Audrey Poe Borden Day”. Over the years, Audrey attended the Riverside and the Hohenwald Churches of Christ. Upon retirement, she enjoyed summer visits from her grandchildren, reprising her role by teaching them to paint, listening to her youngest grandson play guitar and talking over their school and sporting successes. Throughout an epic life, Audrey believed in the power of words. The daughter of a Church of Christ preacher, she had a deep faith and believed above all in the Bible. She thought deeply and often about Jesus and stories from the Gospels, given depth by her enduring memories of her own travels in that region. For her, Christianity, humanity and the natural world were all expressions of God’s love, and she lived each day perceiving the best in everything – and in everyone. As she said, “Nature is so beautiful, I simply don’t see how anyone could not believe in God.” Audrey Poe Borden, journalist and educator. born Memphis, Tennessee, 15 May 1926, died 18 September 2019, Columbia, Tennessee. Parents: William Arthur and Ethel Lula (Mincey) Poe. Married Arthur Murray Borden, August 5, 1955 (divorced October 1975). She is survived by children, Erica, Ross, Mark, Lindsay, Andrew, Anthony, and by her eight grandchildren: Jessica, Tess, Meghan, Emma, Elliot, Stefanie, Maxine, Daniel. A funeral service will be held at McDonald Funeral Home, on Saturday October 5, at 10 am, with Rev. Lindsay Borden officiating. Interment immediately afterward at the Banks Cemetery in Riverside. Reception to follow at the Riverside Church of Church of Christ Community Room. An extended version of this tribute appears in this week's Lewis County Herald.

Audrey Poe Borden

May 15, 1926 - September 18, 2019