Jessie Mae Dickenson

Jessie Mae Hunton, 89, a resident of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, died Tuesday, Jan 10, 2012.She was born October 5, 1922 to the late Lonnie and Alma Smith Dickenson and was raised in the Johnson Community near Shawnee, OK.

During WWII, Jessie worked as a welder in the shipyards in Richmond, California building Liberty ships when she met her husband, Floyd. After moving to Prairie Grove in 1945 the couple became successful poultry and cattle farmers. Jessie loved her work and always said that her vacation was her work. She was interested in politics and was a life-long Democrat. She and her husband were also members of the Primitive Baptist Church.

Jessie is survived by three children, daughter and son-in-law Janie and Dwayne Webb of Dutch Mills, AR; son and daughter-in-law Jerry and Karen Hunton of Prairie Grove, Arkansas; and daughter and son-in-law Judy and Ron Moore of Prairie Grove, Arkansas. She is also survived by 10 grandchildren, Earl Hunton, Lonnie Webb, David Williams, Sheila Webb Pierson, Carrie Hunton Jones, Julie Hunton Hernandez, Morgan Moore Dash, Kaci Hunton Belk, Chance Moore, and Ty Hunton; 16 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Other survivors of Jessie include three sisters, Myrtle Hood of Shawnee, OK, Frankie Bland of Shawnee, OK, and Alene Vasquez of Sand Springs, OK.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd Hunton. She was also preceded in death by four sisters, Maurine Hale, Lena Washington, Ruth Goodnight, and Bessie Melton; 2 brothers, Lonnie Gene Dickenson and Vernon Dickenson.

Jessie's family would like to give a special thanks to her lifelong friends and their families which include James Cooksey and Amy Carter, Blake Biswell, the Coleman Miller family, Hilda Scism, the late Ginger Farmer, Fred and Naomi Holden, J.C. Dobbs, the late Johnny Vandenack, Terry and Pam Lakey, and all the people who worked on the farm and enjoyed her daily lunches.

During Jessie’s last years of life, she was cared for by others in addition to family members. These compassionate caregivers include Dr. Ron Lee, Sherri Perri, Barbara Porter, Lorree Crowder, Almeda Allen, Melanie Brewton’s family and staff, and Washington Regional Hospice.

Jessie was a firm believer of receiving a higher education, therefore, in lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Lincoln Consolidated Schools scholarship fund in memory of Jessie Hunton. The recipient of the scholarship will be a student studying in the vocational field of Agriculture or Family and Consumer Scienc

The funeral will be held at the Luginbuel Funeral Home in Prairie Grove, Arkansas Friday, January 13, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. Jessie will be laid to rest next to her husband at the Prairie Grove Cemetery in Prairie Grove, Arkansas.