Isabell Jean Walker

With faith and gratitude for a life well lived, we celebrate the homegoing of

Isabell Jean Walker. She was born on January 8, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri,

to Albert and Johnnie Mildred Thomas, and was raised alongside her sister,

Christine Johnson Ratcliff was rooted in love, faith, and service.

On September 12, 2025, Jean was called to eternal rest at the young age of 73.

To know Jean was to witness God’s love in action. Jean’s faith was important

to her, as she accepted Christ at an early age. She made her spiritual home

Mt. Nebo M.B. Church in Benton, Mississippi, under the leadership of Pastor

Willie F. Mitchell. As she further nourished her personal relationship with

God, she enjoyed serving the ministry as an usher, attending worship

services, and being a walking testimony of God’s grace. Jean knew of no

strangers; she treated everyone as a neighbor and had a gift for making you

feel at home.

Education also played a significant role in Jean’s life. She attended

Linwood Elementary and was apart of the first integrated class at Benton

High school where she graduated with the Golden Class of 1970. She went

on to attend Natchez College, then on to Bishop College. Along this

academic journey she gained lifelong friends who became sisters.

[Dolores (Cookie) Williams, Carolyn (Grunt) Myers, Odessa (Tad) Benson.

As a matriarch of her family, Jean found strength in her loved ones and

shared her light with everyone she came across, so best believe you would

end up with a loving nickname. In 1976, she married James Pete Walker, and

from this union, two daughters were born. Some may argue that her greatest

joy was her children. Tiffany Hogue, LaDonna Walker, and bonus baby

Ronyell (Bug) Brown. However, if you knew Jean, you knew one of her

greatest joys was her grandchildren. She quilted a unique throw for every

grandchild, with each stitch reflecting the special bond each grandchild held

with their Nana!

Jean’s commitment to service extended into her professional life. For more

than two decades, she faithfully served as a bus driver for the Yazoo County

School System under a contract with First Student, formerly known as

Laidlaw International. Although this was only one of many career paths she

pursued, her dedication reached far beyond transportation. She was a source

of encouragement, a safe space, and a guiding presence to students. In every

role she was in, her work ethic and warm spirit left a lasting mark on her

community.

In her leisure time, she enjoyed listening to her tunes, painting her nails, and

completing a crossword puzzle with the occasional chew of Red-Man Golden

Blend. Jean lived each moment to the fullest—she was the life of the party. To

experience Jean was to know her riddles, her humor, and her compassion.

She shared her gift for cooking and her flair for fashion.

Though Jean may no longer be with us in the physical world, her legacy will remain

in the hearts of those who “loved them some Jean.” She leaves to cherish her

memory, her daughters, Tiffany Hogue (Lemuel C. Hogue II) and LaDonna

Walker; her grandchildren, Anthony (Sandy) Walker, Dallas (Doogie)

(Cecelia) Hardy III, Austin (T-Babie) Hardy, Lemiya (PencilLeg) Hogue,

Lemuel (My Trey) Hogue III, TaShia (SugaMama) Hogue, Aiyana (Muffin)

Powell, Elijah (sings* Lil Lijah James) Hogue, Semaj (Peatey) Dallas, and

Robin (Pootie) Powell; two special cousins, god daddy (Charlie Vaughan), and

Barbara Knight-McNair, along with her three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by one great-grandchild, Carmen Kay Hardy, her

parents Albert and Johnnie Mildred Thomas, her sister Christine Johnson

Ratcliff, and James Pete Walker.