Services will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 1, in Fairfield Baptist Church of Moselle for Mrs. Ellen Jean Watkins of Moselle. Brother Ramsey Coutta will officiate with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Justin McKinion, Aaron McKinion, Michael Watkins, Jared Watkins, Richard Richarson and Justin Buckley.
Ellen Jean Stringer Watkins, 90, passed away on Sept. 27, 2023 at Asbury Hospice House of Hattiesburg. She was born on Aug. 25, 1933, along with her twin sister Bettye Jane Stringer Jefcoat in Taylorsville to Eula Ainsworth and Selonee Stringer. She married the love of her life Francis Julian Watkins on Aug. 20, 1955.
Ellen Jean Watkins
She was a graduate of Taylorsville High School and attended nursing school at South Mississippi Charity Hospital in Laurel, becoming a registered nurse. Ellen was a compassionate and caring nurse for several years at Jones Community Hospital, Forrest General Hospital, Brandon Hospital and Baptist Hospital.
Ellen enjoyed working in her yard. At 90 years old, she still dug holes to plant her flowers with a post-hole digger. She loved to decorate her house and yard for all the holiday seasons. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister and aunt.
Ellen was a faithful member of First Baptist Church in Pearl, where she was a director for the Women’s Missionary Union for several years and participated in Sunday school and Girl’s in Action. Upon moving to Moselle in 2013, Ellen and Julian joined Fairfield Baptist Church, where they attended faithfully.
Ellen is survived by her four children, Raymond Mitchell Watkins (Gloria) of Petal, Craig Michael Watkins (Kim) of Pelahatchie, Beverly Watkins Richardson (Ricky) of Moselle and Karen Watkins Switzer (Byron) of Mendenhall; 10 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; sisters Bobbie Stringer Tanner of Laurel and Mary Stringer Thomas of Brandon; sisters-in-law Nelda Watkins Ulmer of Jackson and Robbie Calhoun Watkins of Melbourne, Fla.; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Ellen was predeceased by her husband Francis Julian Watkins; parents Eula Ainsworth Stringer and Selonee Stringer and in-laws Mike B. Watkins and Agnes Hinton Watkins; her sisters and their husbands LaNelle Stringer Gatewood (Charlie), Loraine Stringer Hards (Elmer) and Bettye Stringer Jefcoat (Dale); her brother Roland Collette Stringer; her brothers-in-law Rooney Weaver Tanner and Doc Jefferson “DJ” Thomas; and her niece Mildred “Millie” Jane Gatewood Colquitt.
The family thanks the staff of Forest General Hospital and Asbury Hospice for their wonderful care.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Gideons International, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800 or www.gideons.org.
Jones and Son Funeral Home of Moselle is in charge of services.
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