Jean Townsend Gooden

Jean Townsend Gooden was born August 30, 1923, at Sycamore Landing, near Waverly, Tennessee and departed this life on July 25, 2022, at the age of 98. She was the 7th child of Charlie L. and Cora Buchanan Townsend.

She had seven siblings, namely: Allie Elise Townsend Warren, Madge Townsend Williams, William Hiram (Buss) Townsend, Ollie Townsend who died at the age of two, Leonard Ewell Townsend, Charles Loyd Townsend, and Floyd Allen (Chuck) Townsend. At her death, she was the last child living.

She leaves three nephews: Bill Townsend, Ray Warren, and David Townsend. Seven nephews deceased: Dennis Townsend, Jack Warren, Carl Williams, Leonard Townsend, Joey Wheeler, Delbert Townsend and Ward Christian Davis.

Eight nieces: Shirley Williams, Linda Keener, Vickie Ricketts, Treba Leigh Rogers, Sherry Williams, Cora Townsend, Misty Langston, Jeanne Wheeler, and Patti Watson, who is departed.

And many great, great/great, great/great/great nephews and nieces.

She also leaves her husband Boyce's nephews and nieces, Roger McFadden, Rodney McFadden, Barbara O'Conner and Patsy Faulk.

At the age of 10, her family moved to her uncle Sam Buchanan's farm in Pemiscot County, Missouri. She worked on the farm at the age of 10 and carried water to the field hands. She picked cotton after school in the fall.

She attended grade school at the Chapel School and high school at Caruthersville though grade 10 and finished high school at Deering, Missouri.

Her first job was at the Democrat Argus newspaper office. She also worked at the Ward Loan Company and the Missouri Employment office where she met her husband, Boyce. She and Bob McGraw purchased the Bernard Insurance Agency and she worked there for 40 years. She was united in marriage to Boyce Gooden on March 3, 1952. They lived together on his farm until his death on January 31, 1999.

On August 5, 2002, she bought a home at 2808 Broadway, in Caruthersville. Jean loved her home and had the best neighbors in Susan Faulkner and Frank Thrasher.

Jean was an avid Church of Christ member and loved her church family at Bragg City, Bakerville, and Caruthersville. She loved and read the Bible through many times in her later years.

She had several cherished friends, namely: Ava Lee Cleveland, Judy Pate, Nell Henderson, and Susan Faulkner.

Her biggest regret was that she could not have children. She kept Bonnie Sue Dickey and sent her to high school at Cooter her senior year, and Ricky Cleveland, when they lived at Bragg City, and sent him to high school in Kennett his junior year.

She had two favorite cousins with whom she was raised: Robert O. Pierce and Helen Pierce Hinchey.

I have lived a full life. The Lord has blessed me in so many ways. He blessed me with a wonderful memory, and He brought me through many operations.

I have always prayed that we would all be one as our Lord prayed. I have prayed to be more humble, more forgiving, more loveable and more understanding of the welfare of others, which I learned at a very early age from my dear mother.

I love poems, especially those that Mike puts in our Sunday Bullentin. This is one from December 29, 2013 by Edgar A. Guest. "I want to be fit for myself to know: I want to be able, as the days go by: Always to look myself in the eye: I don't want to stand with the setting sun: And hate myself for the things I have done: I can never hide myself from Me: I see what others may never see: I know what others may never know; I never can fool myself and so: whatever happens, I want to be: self- respected and conscience free."

Funeral services were held at the Central Church of Christ of Caruthersville, Missouri, with Brother Mike McDaniel officiating on July 28th, 2022. Interment followed in Dunklin County Memorial Gardens in Kennett, Missouri.

H.S. Smith Funeral Home in charge of services.

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