March 28, 1932 – February 9, 2021
A private family celebration of life for Mrs. Fannie Jo Hester Willis, age 88, will be held at 2:00 pm, Monday February 22, 2021 at Resthaven Cemetery in Lubbock, TX.
A native of Palestine, TX, Mrs. Willis was born on March 28,1932 and passed away at her home in Little Rock, AR on February 9, 2021. A devoted Christian and servant of Christ, Mrs. Willis married Dr. Harlan Willis in 1952 and served alongside of him as a missionary to Bangkla, Thailand from 1961-1973, where she was a nurse, English teacher, and mother. She was a graduate of Lilly Jolly School of Nursing in Houston, TX and was a Nightingale with the Baptist Nursing Fellowship. Throughout her adult life, Mrs. Willis loved to share the love of Christ and the good news of His gospel through whatever means she could. She was active in Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) and many mission projects with her church in Brownfield, Texas, including helping lead out in planting two different churches. Throughout her life she was a faithful friend of those Jesus referred to as ”the least of these.”
She is survived by her husband of 69 years, Dr. Harlan Leigh Willis; two daughters, Kaye Frances Willis Miller (Mark) of Little Rock, AR, and Robin Leigh Willis Wood (Andy) of Millry, AL; one son, Paul Marshal Willis (Sarah) of Amarillo, TX; nine grandchildren whom she adored, Jenny Owens (Jason), Julie O’Neal (Christian), Rachael Eichenberger (Zach), John Mark Miller, Carrie Wiley (Kyle), Cassie Thomas (Curtis), Joel Wood (Ashley), Gunnar Willis, and Dakota Willis; and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her father, Snowden Burr Hester; mother, Bessie Elizabeth Manning Hester Watts; and a daughter, Carol Ann Willis Strahan.
To honor her life and legacy, in lieu of flowers, the Family suggests donations in memory of Jo Willis to the Woman’s Missionary Union Baptist Nursing Fellowship (100 Missionary Ridge, P.O Box 830010 Birmingham, AL 35283-0010) or the Alzheimer’s Arkansas, (201 Markham Center, LR, Arkansas 72223).