Funeral services for Jessie Woodard Armstrong were held on Saturday, April 22, 2017, at 2 p.m. at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church. Visitation was Friday, April 21, 2017, at Johnson Funeral Home.

Ms. Armstrong was born in Silver Creek,  May 8, 1920.

Jessie met and married Frank Armstrong in 1936, and he was her partner in life for 60 years, until his death in 1996. Frank and Jessie acquired a 200-acre farm in Jefferson Davis County and reared their four children there, and later granddaughter Diane.

Jessie was employed at the Sophia Sutton Baptist Mission church retreat center and youth camp as a cook and Frank was the caretaker. Jessie worked for Five County Child Development for over 20 years, and finally retired as head cook at Prentiss Institute in 1991. She also worked at Coulter’s Dry Cleaners for over 15 years.

Through the years, Jessie was a caregiver to many family members at the Mississippi home she loved so dearly. A woman of great faith, Jessie was a faithful and active member of Galilee Missionary Baptist Church in Prentiss. God knew where she lived and called her home on April 10, 2017, at age 96.

Jessie leaves to honor her legacy: children Ernestine (John) Bell of Nashville, Tennessee, Grover (Joyce) Armstrong of Maywood, Illinois, Harvest Jean “Sister” (Nathaniel) Lewis of Bellwood, Illinois, and Frank S. Armstrong (Janie) of Harvey, Illinois; granddaughter Diane (Joe) Brown of Prentiss, and 16 additional grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; and many other relatives and friends.