UPDATE: SERVICE LOCATION CHANGED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS The service will be held in the Medders Funeral Home Chapel, 1564 Hwy 52 W, Crossett at 3:00 p.m.
Jeanene Stewart, 83, of Hamburg, passed away Thursday, July 15, 2021, at the Ashley County Medical Center. She was born on August 6, 1937, to her parents, Hiram Alexander and Goldie Burnett Tumlison. She was a resident of southeast Arkansas most of her life. She was a member of the Wilmot Church of Christ and led many people to Christ.
Jeanene was a talented singer who sang in a gospel music quartet, Southland, for many years. She was also a gifted painter, seamstress, and florist. She made beautiful flower arrangements for the church and for family and sold them in her store. Her creative talents were used in other businesses she ran as well, including a candle-making shop and Christmas tree flocking business.
Jeanene’s strong work ethic began early. When she was just six years old, she worked in the cotton fields as a laborer. As a teenager, she was given a secretary position at the Sterling store because of her elegant penmanship that followed throughout her lifetime. She was an entrepreneur, running businesses such as the “Feed and Seed” in Star City and the “Tackle Box” and “Little Store” in Lake Village, as well as a parking lot striping business. She also worked for Georgia Pacific, was a radio operator for the sheriff’s department, managed an apartment complex, and worked as a bail bond agent.
When Jeanene wasn’t working somewhere, she was fishing, junkin’, gardening, shopping, or donating to many worthy causes. She was incredibly generous, outgoing, and bubbly, and when she laughed, she laughed all over. She was poised and graceful, charismatic and classy. She was the epitome of elegance. She was a fantastic cook who could absolutely mess up a kitchen but made the best sweet tea you’ve ever had. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose family was her world, and she loved them immensely.
She is preceded in death by her father, Hiram Alexander Tumlison, her mother, Goldie Dale Burnett Tumlison, her husband, David Stewart, one brother, Carl Tumlison, and two grandchildren, Nicholas Shairrick and Seth Carpenter.
She leaves behind her four children, Debra Ann Shairrick (Joe), Paul David Gill, and Donna Kay Lowrey (Anthony), all of Hamburg, and Jimmy Lewis Gill (Rhonda) of Sheridan; four stepsons, Rick, Darryl, Rusty, and Kebo Stewart; one brother, Zandra Tumlison (Ann) of Peru, IN; seven grandchildren, Carissa, Chris, Jason, Whitney, Amber, Preslie , and Star; 13 great-grandchildren, Bryson, Alissa, Cole Lucas, Parker, Jon David, Lily Kate, CJ, Lee, Aspen Kaye, Dylan, Stone, Jesse, and Trey; and a host of nieces, nephews, other family members, and friends.
A Celebration of Life Graveside Service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, July 18, at Carter Cemetery in Hamburg, with Jerry Martin officiating.
Visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Medders Funeral Home, 1564 Hwy 52 W, in North Crossett, Sunday prior to the service.
In remembrance of Jeanene’s life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made in lieu of flowers to Options, Inc., a domestic violence service. The address is 113 W. Gaines St. Monticello, AR 71655.
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