The Janelle Hough Memorial Scholarship was established in memory of Janelle Hough by her husband, Joe Hough, and daughters in 2020.

Marilyn Janelle Thompson Hough was born March 20, 1939, in Bloomburg, Texas. While in High School, she was pianist for the Bloomburg Lions Club. She graduated from Bloomburg High School in Cass County in 1957 and attended Panola College where she maintained a 3.75 GPA. In 1992, she was certified by the Texas Board of Tax Professional Examiners as a Registered Texas Assessor/Collector.

A devoted Christian, Janelle was a member of Central Baptist Church. She was a staunch dyed-in-the-wool Texan, through and through, birth till death. Janelle worked for several years arranging flowers at Lynch’s florist.

She married Joe Hough on December 17, 1976 at Central Baptist, Carthage. From 1976 until 1996, she worked in the Panola County Tax Office, retiring as Chief Deputy. Subsequently, she served as Tax Collector for Elysian Fields ISD and Beckville ISD for an additional eight years before retiring.

She was a gifted musician and artist, playing piano and organ at Southside Baptist and painting numerous pictures for home decorating and for family members. She was a member of the Q.M. Martin Art Society.

The Janelle Hough Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually to a deserving fine arts student with preference given to a piano or voice student. The selection of the recipient will be made in the spring each year.