Lillie Mae (Jones) Turner

Lillie Mae Jones Turner was born on June 3, 1934, in Des Arc, Arkansas, to Joseph and Lizzie Slater Jones. She was the third of five children, four of whom preceded her in death. At an early age, she accepted Christ and was baptized at Green Grove Baptist Church in Hazen, Arkansas, beginning a lifelong journey of faith, love, and service.

Lillie Mae grew up in Lonoke, where she attended St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church and George Washington Carver School. A proud class of 1954 salutatorian, she earned a scholarship to the Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical and Normal College (AM&N), now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics. There, she met and married the love of her life, Virgil Turner of Shaals, Arkansas. Together they raised five children, two of whom preceded her in death.

In 1960, Lillie Mae and her family moved to Chicago in search of opportunity. She began teaching for the Chicago Board of Education but found her true calling with the Head Start program in East Chicago Heights, Illinois, where she rose from teacher to Director. Her family was active in Christian Valley Baptist Church, St. Paul's Lutheran Church, and St. Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, where she and Virgil helped establish the St. Bethel Community Center. Later moves took them to Los Angeles, where she again served as a Head Start Director and joined Trinity Baptist Church, and eventually back to Arkansas, where they continued a life of service.

Among her proudest achievements was bringing Head Start to Lonoke County, where she expanded the program to multiple towns and villages. Even in retirement, she continued serving her community as a Walmart greeter, always sharing her warmth and kindness.

Lillie Mae also devoted herself to the Carver Alumni Association, leading efforts to preserve and celebrate the history of African Americans in Lonoke. She spearheaded the annual Carver Black History Month Banquet, now a signature community event, and was widely recognized for her lifelong commitment to children's education.

She touched many local churches, including St. Paul Missionary Baptist, Union Valley Baptist, and Prairie Chapel Missionary Baptist. Most recently, she was a member of Lonoke Assembly of God, where she faithfully attended services online after becoming bedridden.

Known for her "pound cake ministry," Lillie Mae baked and shared her cakes as a symbol of love and fellowship, leaving sweet memories wherever she went.

She is survived by three daughters, Angela Felecia Epps, Valerie Annette Turner, and Phyllis Turner-Brim (Jerry); three grandchildren, Elizabeth Lee Williams (Alex), Maiah Elaine Brim, and Turner Joseph Brim; two bonus grandchildren, Stefen Smith and Kendric Smith (Tiffany); three great-grandchildren, Velma Lillie Williams, Virgil Clarence Williams, and Kennedy Hudson Smith; along with many nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends who will forever cherish her memory.

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