Juanita B. Downs

Juanita B. Downs

Age: 86 of 105 Daniel Lane, Waynesville, NC. She was born April 24, 1917 on Hurrican Creek in Haywood County, NC.

Date of Death: Tuesday, October 7, 2003 at her residence.

Parents: The late Joel Fletcher and Maggie Rogers Brown.

Background: Juanita lived all her life in Haywood County with the exception of 5 years spent in New Port News, VA where she and her husband Rufus worked during WWII. After the war she returned to Lake Junaluska where she was very active in her community. She was a member of Long’s Chapel United Methodist Church, serving for more than 77 years.

Juanita enjoyed a life long love of farming. She served 25 years with Haywood County Farm Bureau, in various roles from board of directors to becoming the first woman president in the Western part of North Carolina. She traveled extensively with Farm Bureau as a voting delegate helping to bring about change to Western North Carolina farmers. Her travels took her to Hawaii and the Western United States. Juanita was recently selected as one of the Women of Haywood County where she was pictured operating her tractor on her farm at the age of 81.

Surviving: Juanita was preceeded in death by her husband of 43 years, Rufus Edgar Downs, who passed away in 1979. She was the youngest of eight children born to Joel and Maggie Brown in a log cabin on Hurricane Creek. Her late sister, Major Cecil Brown, established the Salvation Army Mission at Maple Springs, NC. Juanita is survived by her son, Joseph Lloyd Downs and his wife Cindy Lowman Downs of Rock Hill, SC, two grandsons Rufus Joel Downs of Simpsonville, SC and Donavan Daniel Horlacher of Spartanburg, SC, and a sister Oleta B. Allen of Waynesville, NC.

Services: Services for Juanita will be held at 11:00 am Friday, October 10, 2003 at Garrett Funerals and Cremations Chapel and then laid to rest amidst tall pine trees overlooking her farm in the Brown Family Cemetery on Hurricane Creek alongside her husband Rufus, on land bought by her grandfather in 1856. Pallbearers will be Alvin Jerome Brown, Harland E. Brown, Frank D. Brown, Johnny Mac Brown, Robert L. Brown, and Charles Allen Ferguson. Honorary Pallbearers will be Haywood County Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

The Reverend Woody Adams of Long’s Chapel Untied Methodist Church will officiate along with Reverend James H. Moore. Special speakers will be Rufus Brown, Don Smart, and Clifford Tipton. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 PM Thursday, October 9, 2003 at the funeral home. Garrett Funerals and Cremations are in charge of arrangements.