Elwana Justice of Powell, Tennessee, formerly of Coalfield went to her reward on her 91st birthday, Thursday, September 22, 2016 surrounded by her loving family.

Elwana spent her years helping others. Her first years out of high school were spent working in Oak Ridge as a stenographer during the Manhattan Project. After that, she married Arthur Quinton Justice and started a family, while they both attended Tennessee Technological College in Cookeville, Tennessee and the

University of Tennessee, in Knoxville.  While raising a family and attending college,

she taught school in Coalfield, and later at Powell Elementary.

After teaching a total of 37 years, she retired and for 7 years was a caregiver for her

husband, Arthur, who had Alzheimer’s and passed away and was buried on his

birthday in 1996.

She loved her family and very much enjoyed gardening, canning and quilting.  Quilting

allowed her to leave a legacy of love to cover her family for generations.  Elwana was a steadfast Christian and was a member Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Coalfield and later at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville. She was also a member of the Eastern Star Masonic Order.  She not afraid of hard work and cared deeply for her family. 

Her parents, Mattie and Ernest Ruffner, who preceded her in death instilled her with good Christian values and a strong moral fiber and work ethic, which she adhered to until her declining health in 2014, at which point, her son, Stephen became her caregiver.

 Besides her husband and parents, Elwana was preceded in death by sisters Juanita

Ward and Lorene Duncan.  She is survived by her loving daughter and best friend,

Phyllis Dickey and husband, Barney, of Coalfied and three sons, Barry Justice and wife

Sue, of Powell; Stephen Justice of Powell and Arthur Quinton Justice and wife Terri of

Dallas, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexcio.  She had 6 grand children and 7 great grand children, several nieces and nephews, and a host of other family members and good friends.

The family will receive friends on Sunday, September 25, 2016 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm at Wallace Memorial Baptist Church in Knoxville Tennessee. The funeral service will begin at 2:00 pm with Rev. Kent Williams officiating.

The graveside service will be on Monday at 11:00 AM at the Estes cemetery in Coalfield Tennessee.    Online condolences can be made to jacksonfuneralservices.com.

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