Martha Jean Wallace Cleaves

Martha Jean Wallace Cleaves of Jonesboro died, Wednesday, March 22, 2017 at Craighead Nursing Center.

Jean was born in Harrisburg to the late William and Dorothy Bess Wallace. She was a 1948 graduate of Harrisburg High School. She then attended Draughons Business College in Memphis. Jean married Edmond Cleaves on December 24th, 1948. They were married almost 66 years before Ed passed in 2014.

Jean lived the military life moving with Ed in the Air Force. After, Ed retired in 1969, they moved to Jonesboro. Jean worked many years at Citizens Bank. Jean enjoyed needlework, quilting, crocheting, and sewing. She also enjoyed camping and riding motorcycles with Ed.
Jean was a member of Nettleton Baptist Church and Jim Carter’s Sunday School Class. She was also a member of Olive Chapter O.E.S., Goldwing Road Riders Association, and Good Sam’s Club.

Jean was preceded in death by her husband, Ed; son, Harry William Cleaves; her parents; a brother, Charles Wallace, and a son-in-law, the Rev. Jim Marshall.

Survivors include two daughters, Dottie (Gene) Hill of Southaven, MS and Linda (Harroll) Henry of Florence, AL; a son, Jim Cleaves of Maumelle, AR; two brothers, James Wallace of Tacoma, WA and Johnny Wallace of Harrisburg; a sister, Pat (Sid) Crawford of Jonesboro. 8 grandchildren: Steve (Jamie) Marshall and Danny (Tammy) Marshall of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Dave (Hope) Marshall of Munford, Alabama, John Marshall of Memphis,
Rev. Jeff (Rachel) Henry of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Christina (Ben) Prine of Cookeville, Tennessee, Ben Cleaves of Little Rock and Adam (Brittney) Cleaves of Conway; and 14 great grandchildren: Mae and Sam Marshall, Lily Marshall, Alex and Andrew Marshall, Lanah Stephens, Eden and Lydia Henry, Henry and Hadley Prine, Madi Cleaves, Autumn, Logan, and Jordan Cleaves; and a host of other family and friends.

The Cleaves family would like to thank the staff at Craighead Nursing Center for the love and wonderful care they gave Mom. A special thanks to Wavie Thomas who was Mom’s roommate for the last 2 and a half years.

Funeral services will be Saturday at 1pm in the Emerson Memorial Chapel with Rev. Jeff Henry and Dr. Stan Ballard officiating. Interment will directly follow at Harrisburg Memorial Cemetery with Emerson Funeral Home in charge of all arrangements. Grandsons and great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Olive Chapter O.E.S and Jim Carter’s Sunday School Class.

Visitation will be Friday evening from 6-8pm in the Emerson Memorial Chapel.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested that you consider the Nettleton Baptist Church, P.O. Box 2415 Jonesboro, AR 72402, or www.nettletonbaptistchurch.org.