Mrs. Juanita Wynne Jameson

February 10, 1919 - February 12, 2020

Juanita Wynne Jameson, lifetime resident of Tatum, Texas, passed away on February 12, 2020. She was born in Tatum, Texas, February 10, 1919; one hundred and one years ago. She graduated from Tatum High School in 1936, then attended College of Marshall, now East Texas Baptist University. To make extra money during the depression in the 1930’s, she taught piano. Later, she taught school at Tatum and Laneville, worked at the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Office in Henderson, and retired as a United States postal clerk in Tatum, after more than twenty years. Although raised a Baptist, she was a member of the Tatum United Methodist Church for most of her life. Beginning in her youth, she volunteered to play piano for her church, including Sunday services, revivals, Vacation Bible School, choir practices, cantadas, weddings, and funerals; a labor of love that spanned more than 50 years. She was a friend to many, and a strong East Texas woman. Juanita, Mother, Nana, was born a year before women in the United States claimed their right to vote in national elections, with the ratification of the 19th amendment in 1920; one hundred years ago. She grew up in the roaring 20’s, and during the depression that followed in the 30’s, then married Angus Leslie Jameson, Sr., the love of her life in 1941. She supported herself and her infant son, Leslie, the two times Angus served in the military during World War II, as he joined the army early on, and then was drafted back when the fighting was worse. They farmed and ranched and then entered politics, with Angus serving as Rusk County Commissioner during the cold war years of the 1950’s, and continued on through the hippie era, the Viet Nam conflict, and the moon landing of the ‘60’s and on into the seventies. In later years, Juanita enjoyed traveling, and had her suitcase packed in no time at the mere mention of a trip. She loved her friends and family, her children, grandchildren, great-grand-children, great-great-grandchildren, and their friends, and was known as “Nana” to most. She worked hard, loved fiercely, and lived with grace, kindness and a calm spirit, regardless of what came her way. She was our rock, our advisor, the shoulder we cried on, the one with which we shared our joys or our sadness, and has been the matriarch of our family since Angus, also known as Grandpaw, and Daddy, died in 1995. We learned much by her example. She showed up for as many of her family’s events as she possibly could, including family reunions at the Sabine River park in the summers, cemetery workings, Christmas gatherings at her parents’ home and at the Jameson home in Tatum, PTA, plays, sporting events, graduations, weddings, birthdays, cruises and just plain get-togethers. She helped as many of us as she could to achieve our dreams, always with emotional support, cheering us on. Even when she did not agree with our choices or opinions, she supported our right to make those choices and to have those opinions. “If that’s what you want to do, then go ahead,” she’d say. For that, she gained our eternal support and gratitude. She loved following sports teams. She attended countless Tatum Eagles games including football, baseball, basketball, and several playoffs and state championships. She and cousin Melba Vincent Mullins played on the Tatum Eagle tennis team in the 1930’s and also at College of Marshall. She followed the Cowboys, the recent world series winning Astros, and witnessed her favorite golfer, Tiger Woods, make his remarkable comebacks. She was the daughter of Hollye H Wynne, Sr. and Bertha B Kuykendall Wynne. She was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Hollye H Wynne, Jr., her husband of 54 years, Angus Leslie Jameson, Sr, and her sister, Clara Ruth Wynne Garner. She is survived by her son, Angus Leslie Jameson, Jr. and wife, Brenda Bruce Jameson; daughter, Marianne Jameson Hawthorne; daughter, Cynthia Jameson Reese and husband, Leonard Downs Reese III, all of Tatum, Texas. She is survived by seven grandchildren; Michael Bennett Jameson and Doris Altmann of New York, New York; Kenneth Mitchell Jameson and Sherry Greene Jameson, of Smithville, Texas; Mark Jackson Jameson and Nicole Hults Jameson, of Southlake, Texas; Jonathan Wynne Leslie Jameson, of Athens, Georgia; Angus Jason Wheeler and Shelley Carpenter Wheeler, of Tatum, Texas; Elizabeth Jameson Reese and Daniel Michael Miller, of San Francisco, California; and Leonard Downs Reese IV and Tingting Lu, of Austin, Texas; step-grandchildren Scott Hawthorne, Cassie Hawthorne, Brad Hawthorne, and Benjamin Specht; seven great-grandchildren; Julia Dee Gonzalez and Raul Gonzalez, Grant Mitchell Jameson, Dr. Laramie Jameson and Dr. Sergei Dzyuba, Brock Angus Jameson and Bethany Goode Jameson, Macey Jackson Jameson, Justin Kade Wheeler and Kaius Lu Reese; two great-great-grandchildren, Keori Lynn Grant, and Harper Dee Gonzalez, one on the way to Brock and Bethany Jameson, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She is survived by special “forever friends,” including Mary Ann Fain, Billie Mobbs, Ruth Swanzy, and other friends and family. She was predeceased by her special friends, cousin Melba Vincent Mullins, sister-in-law Margaret Donnelly Jameson, sister-in-law Rudine Armstrong Wynne, friends, Ruth McMaster Reese, Ida Lene Maloney Gibson, Estelle Pepper Hardaway, June Mullican Helveston, Curtis Ross Smith, and sons-in-law, George William Wheeler and W.E. Hawthorne. She outlived every contemporary she knew. Her seven grandchildren; Michael Bennett Jameson, Kenneth Mitchell Jameson, Mark Jackson Jameson, Angus Jason Wheeler, Elizabeth Jameson Reese, Leonard Downs Reese IV and Jonathan Wynne Leslie Jameson, serve as her pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers are Roy Hillin, Troy Williams, Don Jones, Terry Edney, Wade Hickerson, Brad Reimer, Scott Hawthorne, and Brad Hawthorne. She requested a special thank-you to her many caregivers, Dr. Kenneth Flory (deceased), and Dr. Rick Earnest. Funeral services are as follows: Visitation is at the Tatum United Methodist Church on Friday, February 14, 2020 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The memorial service is at the Tatum United Methodist Church on Saturday, February 15, at 10:30 am with Rev. Dwain Smith and Rev. David Banks officiating, followed by a graveside service at the Tatum Cemetery, under the direction of Crawford-A. Crim Funeral Home. If you so choose, in lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: Tatum United Methodist Church at PO Box 1071 Tatum, TX 75691; or to Tatum Cemetery Association at PO Box 1484, Tatum, TX 75691; or to Tatum Education Foundation at PO Box 350, Tatum, TX 75691. Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.crawfordacrim.com.