Jean Louise Gower Windley, of the Beckwith Community, age 90, passed away peacefully on Jan. 6, 2019, at her home. She spent her final hours surrounded by the love of her children and grandchildren.

Born in Pantego, she was the daughter of Ralph Stacey and Blanche Bishop Gower Lupton.

Jean was a graduate of Pantego High School. On Sept. 4, 1948, she married Charles Braxton “C.B.” Windley, who preceded her in death Dec. 11, 2018, after 70 years of marriage.

Jean worked several years at National Spinning and Terra Ceia Christian School. However, the majority of her working years were spent helping C.B. on the farm. She worked with C.B. to provide for their family by cooking, gardening and working on the family farm.

In the 1980s, she and C.B. started one of the first pecan-cracking businesses in the area. Together they worked side by side and ran the business from sun-up to sun-down, cracking thousands of pounds of pecans each year. They ran the business until their mid 80s, making hundreds of new friends.

Jean led a very active life as long as her health allowed. She enjoyed cooking, canning and freezing vegetables from the garden. She spent countless hours in the kitchen preparing cakes, pies, collards, jams, jellies and pickles. There was always enough food at her table for anyone who just happened to drop by. She loved to play cards, especially “Rook” with her friends and do word puzzles. She was the pianist and organist at Hunters Bridge Church of Christ for over 40 years and sang in the choir.

Together, Jean and C. B. were blessed with three children, Charles “Chuck” Braxton Windley Jr., Pamela Windley Daw and fiancé Harry Meredith, Jr. and Sherry Windley Stotesbury and husband Glenn. She is also survived by a very special son, Charles Daw.

She was affectionately known as Ma, to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Charles Clifton Daw, Jr. and wife Crystal and their children, Kaitlyn and Heath; Matthew Windley Daw and fiancé Jessica Baranczyk and their children, Ashlyn, Jackson and Peyton Ella; Emily Stotesbury Hardison and husband Neil, Ruth Ann Stotesbury Rogers and husband Trey and their children, Sadie and Jackson, and Debbie Stotesbury Pearson and husband Stephen.

She is also survived by a sister-in-law, Barbara Windley; brother-in-law, Case VanWyk; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by father and mother, Ralph Stacey and Blanche Bishop Gower; brother and wife, Joseph and Frances Gower; sister, Dorothy Gower; son, Charles B. “Chuck” Windley, Jr.; mother and father-in-law, C. S. and Ella Keech Windley; sisters-in law and their husbands, Lucille and James Windley, Ethial and Otis Stell, Pinear Mae and Reverend Ralph Epps and Ellene VanWyk.

The family extends special thanks to all those whose daily faithfulness, personal attention and expert loving care allowed her to continue to live at home and make her life as comfortable as possible: Kim Harvey, Joeanne Jones, Aries Moore, Veronica Ross, Iris Wilkinson and the staff of Community Home Care & Hospice.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2018, at 2 p.m. at Hunters Bridge Church of Christ, with Arthur “Bud” Ball officiating. Burial will follow in Pamlico Memorial Gardens. Charlie Daw, Matthew Daw, Jimmy Gower, Neil Hardison, Stephen Pearson and Trey Rogers will serve as pallbearers.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church and at other times at the home.

Jean was a member of Hunters Bridge Church of Christ, where she attended as long as her health allowed. Flowers are welcome and memorial contributions can be made to Hunters Bridge Church of Christ, 826 Long Ridge Road, Pinetown, NC 27865.

Online condolences may be offered to the family by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com.

Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Windley family.