Jean Nois Mcclendon

Jean Nois McClendon was born on April 13, 1934 in Canton, Mississippi to the parents of Lillie Williams and Lee Robinson.

Jean was a diligent hard worker, balancing her role as a homemaker, wife and mother to one daughter, Adrienne, while working a full-time job at Spiegel retail and catalog store in Chicago, Illinois. Jean was very meticulous about how her home looked, but more than that she was       particularly concerned about how her husband and daughter as well as she was adorned. She loved her   family, was an excellent cook, she enjoyed shopping at her favorite store, Marshall Field’s along with fishing. She later relocated to Jonesboro, Arkansas working for Colson Caster Corporation for 35 years, until she retired on April 14, 2004.

After attending the funeral for one of her sisters, she   obtained some bible-based literature that explained the condition of the dead, and God’s promise to resurrect all those in the memorial tombs back to life in perfect health in a restored paradise here on earth. Those bible truths sparked her interest and she wanted to learn more about how this promise would occur. She expressed, “When I read about God’s promise of a resurrection, and that there would be a possibility of seeing my sister again, I wanted to learn more about Jehovah God, and become one of his dedicated servants.” After studying the bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, she made a prayerful decision to dedicate her life to Jehovah and symbolized that   dedication through water baptism on May 14, 2014, at the age of 80.

From that time forward, she expressed a strong desire to engage in the house to house ministry.

Due to her limited mobility, being confined to a wheelchair, she was unable to fulfill that desire. However, she focused on what she could do by sharing in other   avenues of the ministry such as; telephone witnessing,   informal witnessing, and letter writing. In fact, she was able to start a bible study with one of the aids that would assist her around the house. Jean witnessed primarily by writing letters to people who lived in her congregation’s territory. When other witnesses would go door to door they would meet recipients of the neatly hand written letters and would inquire if the witnesses knew Jean. On occasion she received responses directly from householders with either a comment, question, or an opinion. One such response also included commendation for her neat penmanship and style in which her letter was written. She also appreciated the privilege she had to auxiliary pioneer from time to time throughout the year. Despite her health limitations, she was able to fully accomplish her ministry which brought her much joy and satisfaction, “....knowing that her labor was not in vain in connection with the Lord.” 1 Corn.15:58

Jean fell asleep in death on June 2, 2019. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Adrienne; six brothers — Jethro, James, Bernis, Roosevelt, Eddie and Robey; two sisters — Irene and Naressa.

Jean leaves to cherish her memory, two grandsons, Jerome “Trice” Lewis and Demont Rufus; two sisters- Loretta Hardy and Daisy Nichols; four great grandchildren — Daylisha Rufus, Daylin Rufus, Adriannah Lewis, Daydeion Rufus; two great great grandchildren — Jayceon Rufus and Damarion Robinson. And a host of nieces, nephews and friends.

Memorial service will be held 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 29, 2019: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses 5618 Summer Place, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72404-8681.