Lavina Josephine Roose Jeffords (Joie) was born March 19, 1933 in the Fort Chaffee area. She spent her first few years there as a young child and then moved to the Dayton/Mansfield area. She graduated from Mansfield High School in 1952. Upon graduation she traveled to Washington DC where she began her career working for the FBI. She would later transfer to the Navy Department.
She met and married the love of her life Clifford Harold Jeffords in 1955. She suddenly became the wife of a career Air Force officer and would spend the next 20 years moving many times with her husband. During this time she had two beautiful children, Glenn and Janet.
Upon her husbands Air Force retirement, she and Clifford moved the family to Washington DC where they both worked for the United States House of Representatives. They eventually returned back to her home town of Fort Smith, Arkansas. Joie was a wonderful mother, wife and grandmother. Her greatest joy was the role of grandmother. She raised her beloved grandson, Vann Jeffords and loved having her granddaughter, Analisa Parr visit her at her home during the summer.
Joie was a lifelong member of the Dayton Church of Christ. She reigned as Senior Ms. Arkansas in 1995, and was a member of many clubs and organizations in the area. She participated in volunteer work for St. Jude hospital. She loved to garden, cook, and dress up beautiful. Joie was also a lifelong member of the Democratic Party, and an avid Razorback fan. She is preceded by her husband, Clifford Jeffords and her son, Glenn Jeffords. She is survived by her daughter, Janet Jeffords Parr and Brad Parr of Dallas, Texas; her granddaughter, Analisa Parr also Dallas, Texas; and grandson, Vann Jeffords of Greenwood, Arkansas. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and her little dog, Sophie.
Funeral service will be 11 a.m., Friday, June 21 at Dayton Church of Christ with burial at the U.S. National Cemetery under the direction of McConnell Funeral Home of Greenwood. Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday before the service at the church.
Honorary pallbearers are Ronald Metcalf, Kevin Jones, Chris Hansen, Dana Jeffords, Glenn McDaniel and Destiny Dyer.
