Jackie Wardlow

Our community lost the remarkable soul of one of God's servants when Jacquelene Ann Hawkins Wardlow, age 84, passed away Saturday morning, November 1st, 2025, at her home while surrounded by her loving husband, 3 children and 2 grandchildren.
Jackie was born and raised in Selmer, the daughter of the late Floyd Earl Hawkins, Sr and Mary Francis Graham Hawkins. She attended school in Selmer and graduated from Selmer High School on May 14, 1959.
Jackie's career of serving her community concluded when she retired from Davita Dialysis Clinic in Selmer at the age of 71 years old. She also served her community in previous positions at the Selmer Nursing Home and Adamsville Nursing Home. Before said roles, she also babysat for multiple families for over 20 years.
She married James Phillip Wardlow on June 30, 1961, and they made their home in Selmer. Jackie had a way of making things beautiful and joyful in life that's rare in a person. She could make anyone feel special from her unique blend of curiosity and gentle encouragement. She had a green thumb, and on a sunny day outside, you would see her out in her garden with a big hat on, which covered up her beautiful white hair, to stay cool and protect from the sun. She loved her varieties of flowers - there was always a wonderful mixture of vibrant colors in the summer months in the flower beds around the house.
Jackie Wardlow was active in her church family. While at Lakeview Baptist, she taught Sunday school and helped to found and create the church library, and later in life, Jackie created the library, kept the prayer list, and made sure each person on the prayer list received personalized cards for her congregation for many years at Unity Baptist.
She loved hosting her family in her warm, inviting home with Phillip, and she made the best cornbread and fried chicken you've ever tasted, not to mention her knack for an irresistible dessert of any kind.
She loved spending quality time with her family, especially her children and grandchildren, and she was blessed with being able to tell a story that would leave you on the edge of your seat about her life and childhood. She made time to be present for the events of her family's lives.
Jackie loved music, particularly the Gaither Vocal Band, and if you put on some James Brown, she'd be on her feet dancing before anyone else. She was very good at making things with her hands, often creating her own shirts or sweaters or sending personalized cards with the perfect stickers to compliment her choice of words.
Though it's impossible to fill the place of a community member, wife, mom and grandmother Jackie has left behind, we all know she's resting in the arms of our heavenly Father smiling her biggest, welcoming smile that perfectly sums up the love that she was.
She is survived by her husband, James Phillip Wardlow of 64 years, two brothers, Bill and Maudine Hawkins of Selmer and Jim and Alice Hawkins of Selmer, two daughters, Amy and Jack Jernigan of Selmer and Sondra and Dwayne Sowell of Adamsville, and a son, Andrew and Kendra Wardlow of Panama City Beach, FL; 5 grandchildren; Derek Sowell and wife, Lindsey of Medina, TN, Rusty Jernigan of Franklin, TN, Niki Winton and husband, Seth of Chattanooga, TN, Dustin Sowell and wife, Jordyn of Adamsville, and Dylan Wardlow of Panama City Beach, FL; 5 great-grandchildren; Emeline Winton, Marlee and Blakely Sowell, as well as Lynnon and Elliot James Sowell. She also has many surviving nieces and nephews she loved dearly.
She was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Floyd Earl Hawkins, Sr (Dumas), Mary Francis Graham Hawkins and Floyd Earl Hawkins, Jr.
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