Shirley Jefferson

Shirley Jefferson was born Jan. 11, 1956, to Rev. Joshua Speights and Eular Lee Lumpkin-Speights. She confessed to Christ at an early age and was a member of St. Paul growing up under the leadership of PJ James. She later became a member of New Jerusalem under the leadership of Bishop Brian Olden. She was an active and faithful member of New St. Paul under the leadership of Pastor Clark Phillips. She retired from Blytheville School District. She graduated from Blytheville High in 1974. She was an eight year cancer survivor. She loved her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She has two that she showed extra love to, Journee Jefferson and Jamien Sanders.

She departed her earthly home on Feb. 4, 2024, at St. Bernards Hospital in Jonesboro. She is preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Bertha Hale; two brothers, Nathaniel Kinchen Jr. and Ronnie Garrett; two great-grandchildren, Legend and Ma’Lani Elbert.

She is survived by her husband, Floyd Jefferson; daughters, MaJuannie Speights-Newmy of Blytheville, Dana Brinkley of Jonesboro and Bianca Harris of Las Vegas, Nev.; two sons, Antonino Harris and Marcus (Sherrica) Jefferson of Blytheville; 21 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; four sisters, LaDoris (Farokh) Eslahi of Springfield, Ill., Christine (Jewell) day of Tacoma, Wash., Edna (Alfred) Holton of Blytheville and Linda K. Williams of Little Rock; two brothers, Joshua (Rubbie) Speights of Dumfries, Vir., and Robert Mileage of West Memphis; a host of nieces and nephews; two special nieces, Pebalz Eslahi and Latoya Lane-Brown; special nephews, Patrick Eslahi, Tommy Brown and Clinton Lane; special friends, Barbara Williams, Vikki Rudd, Shirley Furlow, Dorothy Ward, Cheryl Harrison, Priscilla Williams, Marilyn Thompson, Ethel Jones, Linda Stewart, Dorothy Holmes, Maxine Jones and Brenda Turner.

Visitation will be held Saturday, Feb. 17, from 1-2 p.m. at New St. Paul M.B. Church. Service will follow at 2 p.m.

Services are entrusted to Gary Wolfe at Wolfe Brothers Funeral Home, 634 W. Main Street, Blytheville, AR, 870-900-0010.