Patricia Joy Fernatt

Patricia Joy Fernatt was born January 16, 1939, to Chester and Rachel (Wooten) Sellers.
Raised in the Rondo/Helena area, she did a brief stint as a beautician after high school, saying
that her favorite job during that time was dyeing several ladies’ hair purple for a Martian movie
while living in Los Angeles. Soon after she joined the United States Army, where she served as a
dental technician, and met the love of her life, Richard B. Fernatt.

Honorably discharged from the army in 1963, she gave birth to her first child, son Tracey in
1964, and her second child, daughter Leslie in 1967. After her husband returned from the
Vietnam War, the family settled in Excelsior Springs, Mo, where she was a homemaker, factory
worker, childcare provider, assistant art teacher, and retail sales manager.

Returning to her Arkansas hometown in 1985, she worked as a retail manager until 1996, when
she moved to Jonesboro and worked as head of security at Frito Lay manufacturing until her
retirement in 2002.

Her most important life event was giving her life to Christ at 8 years old and being baptized in a
creek outside Rondo, Arkansas. She renewed this commitment at Grace Baptist Church in
Excelsior Springs, Mo in 1974, and was also a member of Pisgah Baptist Church in Excelsior
Springs and Central Baptist Church in Jonesboro, where she enjoyed working in the church’s
preschool.

Patricia departed from this life on March 13, 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband,
Richard in 1980, her son Tracey in 2020, her father, Chester in 1988, and her mother, Rachel in
2007. She is survived by her daughter Leslie, of Jonesboro, sister Billie Brocato (Sammy), of
Dundee, Mississippi, half-brothers Mark, Clark, and Adam Sellers, and half-sister Roxanne Bobo,
as well as many other family and friends.

Burial will be private in West Helena on Friday. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to
the Missions Ministry of Central Baptist Church.