Jean Estella Hedges

Jean Estella Hedges, age 93 of Jefferson City, TN, passed away on Sunday, December 4^th at Jefferson Memorial Hospital.  She was born on September 14, 1929, in Washington, D.C.  She lived in Washington, D.C. until she was married.  She was preceded in death by her father, Linwood Earl Smith, her mother, Mabel Estella Tate Smith, her husband, Ernest C. Hedges, Jr. and her sister, Ellen (Smith) Hale.  She married her high school sweetheart, Ernie, on January 28, 1950.  Jean received a Certificate of Commercial Art from the National Art School, Washington, D.C. and worked for the D. C. Public Library in Publicity and Promotion.  In addition to raising their three children she worked at a sign company doing silk screen work and made signs for the local grocery stores.  She also obtained her Associate in Arts Degree from Prince Georges Community College in 1985.  At PGCC, she was awarded the 1985 Award for Excellence in the study of History.  She was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa.  She was very active in her home church and was an ordained deacon.  Jean was a calligrapher and belonged to the Washington Calligraphers Guild.  She taught calligraphy and showed at many craft shows.

After moving to Jefferson City in 1990, she was busy campaigning for a new Jefferson City Public Library.  Every chance she got she spoke before the City Council urging them to support the building of a new library.  The current beautiful library is a monument to her efforts.  She served as president of the Friends of the Jefferson City Public Library. 

She is survived by a sister, Marjorie Faucher of California and a brother, Linwood Earl (Buddy) and wife Karen (Snyder) Smith, Jr. of Jefferson City, TN; daughter Deborah (Hedges) Selland, grandson Jonathan  Selland of Arizona, granddaughter Nicole (Selland) Ospina and husband German Ospina, great-grandson Elliston and great granddaughter Anika of California; grandson Nathaniel and wife Christine (Botsford) Vaughn and great-granddaughter Alexandra and great-grandson Nicholas of Maryland, grandson Joshua Selland of Texas and great-grandsons Luke and Ethan Selland; son Russell and wife Dana (Milligan) Hedges of Tullahoma, TN, and grandson Aaron and wife Allison (Jarvinen) Hedges and great-granddaughter Estella  and great-grandsons Theodore,  Jack and Nathan of Knoxville; grandson Barrett and wife Twila (Olson) Hedges of Canmore, Alberta, Canada; granddaughter Cara (Hedges) and husband Andrew  Best  and great-grandson Julien of Memphis, TN, and grandson Corbin and wife Adrianne (Leo) Hedges and great-grandsons Zion and Micah of Chattanooga, TN; and daughter Carolyn (Hedges) and husband David  Johnson of Knoxville, TN, and granddaughter Maureen (Johnson) and husband Thomas Madray and great-granddaughter Hazel of Manchester, NH.

Jean was an active member of First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, TN. 

A Celebration of Life service will be held for Jean E. Hedges on Saturday, April 15^th at the First Baptist Church of Jefferson City, 1610 Russell Avenue, Jefferson City, TN 37760. There will be a visitation period starting at 10:00 am and the service will begin at 11:00.  Interment will follow the service at Westview Cemetery.

 In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Benevolence Committee, First Baptist Church, Jefferson City, TN, 1610 Russell Avenue, Jefferson City, TN  37760.