Joyce Ann Jernigan, 79, of Everett, Washington went to be with her Lord and Savior on April 12, 2024. She was born on December 11, 1944, to parents, Grady & Mary Barker in Reidsville, North Carolina. Ann loved spending time in her garden tending to her beautiful flowers. She also loved to cook for her family and sit at the dining room table telling stories and laughing. She cooked everything from scratch and was well known for her biscuits, fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Everyone left her house with a smile and a full belly. She looked forward to summertime barbeques and holidays knowing that her extended family, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren would be there. She didn’t like them to leave because she found comfort in their presence. All who knew her, know that she was one of the hardest working women around. She took pride in her exceptionally clean house, despite having numerous family and friends in her home at all times. She was a meticulous bookkeeper for North End Lawn Care and worked in the field tending to the lawns and flower beds. She enjoyed decorating her house for Christmas and won awards for best decorated in her North Everett neighborhood. She had a beautiful smile and contagious laugh. She is deeply loved and missed by all that know her.
Surviving Ann are her children, Judy (Todd) Olson of Sedro-Woolley, WA, Ronnie Jernigan of Marysville, WA, Keith (Tammy) Jernigan of Arlington, WA, Joseph (Tracy) Jernigan of Stanwood, WA, Mary (Myles Berge) Jernigan of Clarksville, TN and stepdaughter, Janice Rutledge of Liberty, NC; siblings, Fred (Loni) Barker, Ray (Lawnie) Barker, Nancy DeVoe, Wayne (Ruth) Barker, Donna Bickford and OnaMae Griffiths ; 13 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren.
Ann was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 50 years, Hugh Lee Jernigan; her oldest son, Billy Ray Jernigan; grandson, Kody Jernigan; father, Grady Barker; mother, Mary Barker; brother, Harry Barker; stepson, Edward Lee Jernigan; son in law, Robert Rutledge.
The family extends a special thank you to Valentyna Boiko for being such a good friend to Ann and taking exceptionally good care of her.
There will be a celebration of Ann’s life held at 11:30 a.m., Monday, April 22, 2024, at the Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church, 1272 SR 530 NE, Darrington, WA with a graveside service to follow at the Darrington Cemetery. Please join family and friends for lunch at the church following the service.
Memorial Donations (Tax Deductible) may be made to the Darrington Funeral Dinner Association, PO Box 698, Darrington, WA 98241.
Share your memories of Ann and sign the online guest register.
To my Grandma, I love you with all my heart. I am now wishing I could have spent more time with you and I am sorry. You always took good care of all of us growing up. You and Grandpa were always working hard! I alway’s enjoyed all the Holiday’s, birthday’s and all the time we spent together in between. My favorite time with you was when I was painting your house we got to talk a lot and spend some good time together talking about chickens, gardening and everything from your past that I could sit there and listen for hours. I enjoyed talking to you before you passed away I knew Grandpa was waiting for you with uncle Bill and Family. I looked back at all the old photos and you can see how proud you were of our family! I love you so much and miss you. We love you Grandma
Ann Jernigan…your obituary couldn’t be more true. Brian and I met your family back in 2003 and were your neighbors for many years. You took us in as ones of your own. You were the best neighbors anyone could ask for. You taught me everything I know about flowers and all the names. To this day I love flowers because of you. I remember getting up early on Sunday mornings and piling in the car to go from one end of 99 to Seattle hitting every thrift store possible. Always stopping at a Dairy Queen or Weinersnitzel for lunch. I remember spending days and hours getting ready for huge yard sales that had everything thinkable. The summer bbqs were always filled with laughter and stories told over and over so we never forgot. Going to your house on Halloween was always my favorite because you got 100s of kids that came all dressed up. Bill and I would see how many boxes of dots we could eat out of the 15 bags of child’s play candy you passed out. Your chicken and dumplings were the best and you always enjoyed sitting down slicing up tomato and an onion just to snack on. Your back porch held the most memories of happy and sometimes sad conversations,but love and comfort was always there. I consider myself so very lucky to have had a friend like you. I will never forget all the good times. God has gained one of his best angels and make sure to tell Hugh Bill and Ethel we love and miss them. Until we all meet again…love Tiffanie
To my loving mother:
I can’t believe I am writing this. It all happened so fast. You are gone and my heart aches. I miss you so much already. It does give me comfort knowing you are rejoicing in your heavenly home and talking with GOD and telling him about your family here on earth. I can’t imagine how beautiful the gardens are there, but I know one day we will walk together, side by side in them and you will show me, but for now a dream will suffice. I think Dad and Bill knew you were coming home to be with them and they worked in the heavenly gardens to make them look extra special for your arrival, knowing how much you would enjoy spending time there with them. You are loved so much by all of us kids and our entire family. Thank you for everything you did for us and for the sacrifices you made. You were up at dawn and worked until dark. We were blessed with fresh, warm biscuits every morning and some kind of potatoes at just about every dinner. You peeled enough potatoes for an army (The Jernigan Army). It’s rare these days for families to sit down at the table and eat a meal together, but we did it every day, more than once. As I look at old photos i am reminded of the delicious meals you cooked, the smell wafting through the air and the chatter from all of us kids talking about our day. Dad sat at the head of the table and you were right by his side. We all had our seating assignments and one extra chair that was usually filled by one of our friends or someone that just so happened to come by at dinner time and have the pleasure of eating a delicious home cooked meal. You literally took dad’s pickup line to heart “Hey good lookin, watcha got cookin? “Your love language was acts of service and you served us well for your lifetime. I hope to carry that on in your honor and serve others with a grateful heart just like you taught me. I have been abundantly blessed to be your daughter and proud of the woman I get to call mom. I thank GOD for you and find peace in knowing you are in heaven watching over us until we meet again and walk together in the gardens. I love you for eternity! XO
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX