LEWISVILLE- Rosemary Stephens (Jaynes) – October 31, 1921 – December 27, 2016
Rosemary Stephens, a life-long Lewisville native, peacefully joined her many family and friends waiting in heaven on the morning of December 27th. Celebrating her 95th birthday this past Halloween, Rosemary was adored by her friends and family for her wry wit, eternal properness, and long-standing love affair with all things chocolate. Rosemary was always cheerful, polite, and could brighten the most sullen with a lively, “Yoohoo!” Rosemary was an avid gardener who loved the simple pleasure of fresh, home-grown vegetables. Yet, her home often emanated the savory fragrance of Jack’s Donuts, which will undoubtedly see a manageable decline in sales.
As a graduate of Lewisville High School in 1939, Rosemary was never far away from U.S.40. She studied English at Earlham College in Richmond and contributed to the New Castle Courier Times and passed papers in her early life. Rosemary was a telephone operator at the Lewisville Phone Company located in a home in Lewisville. She was a member of the Lewisville Friends Meeting and later the Lewisville United Methodist Church. Always a voracious reader, Rosemary consumed multiple newspapers each day and religiously followed current events. Insistently pulling weeds along Lewisville community sidewalks when she was well into her 90s, Rosemary possessed an infectious can-do attitude that she lovingly forged into her greatest joy, her large family. She was married to Martin Fredrick Stephens on Christmas Day 1942. Together had three daughters trying to have one son: Jayne Ann (Wayne) Barker, Nancy Ellen (Jim) McCullers, Karen Sue (Glenn) Sexton. Rosemary’s home is lovingly adorned with generations of photos and memories of her large family, which is made up of five grandchildren: Gregory(Jennifer) Davis, Heather(David) Blough, Jason(Kristin) Davis, Carmen(Scott) Cash, and 1st Lt. Martin(Miki) Harris; and 11 great grandchildren: Kelsey Blough, Riley, Declynn, Tristan, Landen, Dawson, Karleigh Davis, Kiela, Grant, Caleb, and Luke Cash; one great great granddaughter Mya Via. She was blessed with wonderful and loving Caregivers: Ethel Hicks, Dianne Todd, McKynzee Johnston, Stephenie Marlow, Martha Webb, and Harley Good. Rosemary was preceded in death by husband Martin Stephens and parents Dr. O.G and Ruby Jaynes, and brother, Maurice Jaynes of Lewisville, IN.
Rosemary endured the Great Depression, World War II, and incredible technological and social change throughout her life. She never operated a motor vehicle or rode in an airplane, owned a cell phone or wrote an email. She knew how to butcher a chicken and churn butter, carry on an intelligent, polite conversation and wrote beautiful correspondence. She gave her indelible effort as a daughter, wife, mother, and grandparent, and is represented in passing by a strong and loving family, thankful for her spirit and vigor.
A Celebration of Rosemary’s Life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday December 31st at the Lewisville Presbyterian Church. Reverends Peter Zinn and Arthur Whitaker will officiate. Burial will follow at the Lewisville Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday December 30th at Marshall & Erlewein Funeral Home, Lewisville Chapel and from 10 a.m. until time of services on Saturday at the church.
Online condolences can be made at www.marshallanderleweinfuneralhome.com.