Lorene Mozelle Stevens' Obituary
Lorene Mozelle Beeler Stevens was born April 30, 1930, and died October 11, 2017. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Zella Claypool Beeler; siblings, Earlene Thomas and Pat Beeler; twin sons, Wayne and Wendell Stevens; and grandsons, Brad and Judd Stevens. Lorene is survived by her daughter, Jean Anna Sellers and husband Wayne of Bunker Hill Kansas and their children, Cara Lynn Dodd and husband Sam, and Adam and Patricia Sellers; her son, Wesley Stevens and wife Lisa of Farmington and their children, Josh Stevens and wife Shonna, Jo Beth Williams and husband Billy, Jordan Clarke and husband Walker, and Jackson Stevens; her daughter, Reba Lee and husband Dean of Hot Springs Village and their children, Diamond Sears and husband Devon, and Anna Pearl Lee; her sister, Roylene Diven and husband Jimmy; her granddaughter, Tammy Cross and husband Kendall; daughters-in-law, Pat Stevens and Janice Arnold. In addition, Granny Stevens is survived by 8 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. Lorene was born at home in the Steele community near Tontitown and attended the Thomas one room school house where she met the love of her life, Chester Pearl Stevens, who also preceded her in death. The first time she saw Chester he was stealing a watermelon from her daddy’s watermelon patch and she yelled at him that she hoped he got the belly ache and died! Thank goodness he didn’t because if ever two people were meant to be together, it was Chester and Lorene. She married her childhood sweetheart Chester Stevens in 1949 and moved to Farmington in 1963 After his father’s death, Chester’s mother signed for him to join the Navy when he was 15 because his family needed the money. Lorene was 12 when he left. From the time she was 12 until she was 18 he wrote her at least 138 letters that she kept and reread over the years. No one has or ever will read the letters, except for her, as they are still by her side. Chester returned to the Steele community a few times over the years to visit but when Lorene turned 18 he came home and married her on January 1, 1949, in front of witnesses Neil and Donna Danner. Chester had $10 to his name and when he asked the preacher, a Reverend Lierly, how much he owed him for the ceremony the preacher said, “just whatever it’s worth to you.” Lorene always said she knew what she was worth because Chester gave the preacher the $10 and said you can have $7.50. Chester had to return to the Navy base at Bayonne, New Jersey, and wait until the two of them could save enough money for Lorene to join him there. The last letter written was in March of 1949 and it contained the money needed for the bus ticket to NYC. Prior to their marriage, Lorene was finishing school at the one room school house. Since classes there only went to the 8th grade she lived the next fall semester with a family whose house was near the road and who needed a night-time sitter for a young child. She rode in a panel truck that served as a bus to school on the campus of the University of Arkansas in the Peabody building. In the spring she moved to Fayetteville and lived in a dorm at the old City Hospital working as a nurses’ aid after school and on weekends in return for room and board until graduation from University High in 1948. Prior to graduation she was elected as Vice-President of FHA. While in the Navy, Chester used his Navy age which was 2 years older than his actual age. When Jean Anna was born in New Jersey, the only Yankee in the family, Chester used his Navy age and Lorene her age. Soon after they returned to Arkansas Lorene gave birth to twins and Chester used his “real” age thus making it look as if he had not aged at all and Lorene had gotten 2 years older. Of course twins do that to a woman! She always said, “I wouldn’t take a million dollars for mine but I would pay a nickel for another pair!” Lorene supported Chester in car racing, traveling all over this part of the country watching him do what he loved so much, and never complaining about the money that he won going right back in to making that car or the next one better. It was interesting to see how each honored the other in small and big ways. Probably the biggest honor Chester provided for Lorene after all the kids were born was to secretly arrange a deal with Bill Bequette to give a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon that was black with red interior and $500 to secure 2 acres on a little hill side in Farmington including a little 3 bedroom 1 bath house that was her home until she decided she was moving to Prairie Grove Health and Rehab in January of 2016. Although Lorene never learned to drive she traveled the United States looking for all kinds of opal, crystal, star sapphire, and the like. She panned for gold in Alaska and ate lots of meal with friends made on the Hopi and Zuni Indian and experienced life in amazing ways by going where ever Chester took them. She never met a stranger and anyone was welcome in her home for shelter or a meal. Chester said our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals often resembled a League of Foreign Nations meeting where we had our sweet aunt Tina who is Hispanic, a co-worker from India and another from Germany and many other guests over the years. She was a friend to all and selfless in every way. God made each of our lives better for having been a part of hers. She was an LPN and retired from the Veterans hospital. Her primary occupation was caring for Chester and her family. A visitation will be held from 9:00am – 10:00am with a funeral service to follow at 10:00am on Saturday, October 14, 2017, at Main Street Baptist Church at 49 W Main St, Farmington, AR 72730. Interment will follow immediately at Farmington Cemetery. In lieu of flowers consider a memorial to Main Street Baptist Church at 49 W Main St, Farmington, AR 72730 in her honor.
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