Jerrolyn Martin Owens October 3, 1969 – August 8, 2026 

Our precious Jerrolyn gained her angel wings peacefully at home, surrounded by her beloved family, her closest friends, and her sweet Sadie girl. 

After a long journey of faith, love, and courage, she was welcomed into the arms of the Savior she loved so deeply. She leaves behind a love that touched so many lives and a legacy that will live on in the hearts of all who knew her. 

Jerrolyn loved God deeply, and that love was woven into everything about the way she lived. She loved people deeply, too. She had a gift for making people feel known, remembered, celebrated, and loved. She loved to talk, but more than that, she loved to know. She wanted all the details, not because she was simply curious, but because she genuinely cared. Your birthday, your anniversary, your child's accomplishment, your difficult day, your new job, your latest adventure, if you mattered to Jerrolyn, she wanted to know about it, remember it, pray about it, and celebrate it with you.

 She came from a large, beautiful blended family that she cherished dearly, but she had a way of making her friends feel like family, too. Once you were part of Jerrolyn's life, you were truly part of her life. She never seemed to miss an opportunity to love on someone. 

Jerrolyn was an accomplished attorney, exceptionally smart, hardworking, and dedicated. She proudly served the State of Mississippi as an attorney for more than 30 years. Her education included Raleigh High School, Jones County Junior College, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Alabama. 

But some of the work she did that people will remember most happened far away from a courtroom or law office. It happened in her kitchen, in her home, in a text message, in a phone call, in a prayer, or in a thoughtful gift.

Her famous brownies and countless peanut butter pies became a language of love all their own. She made them to celebrate someone, encourage someone, welcome someone, or simply let someone know they were loved. She loved giving, and she loved finding little ways to make people feel special. 

That same spirit followed her into her cancer treatment. Even while she was the patient, she was thinking about the people caring for her. She and Robert would take “happies” to members of her medical team wherever her treatments took them. She remembered people, learned their stories, and made them feel cared for. 

Jerrolyn once told of a member of her medical team who had initially seemed a little grumpy. Over time, her warmth and genuine interest broke through. One day, as she was leaving, he saw her and ran out just to hug her neck. That was Jerrolyn. She had a way of loving people until they could not help but love her back. 

She also loved adventure. Even in difficult seasons, she wanted to get out, experience something new, laugh, and make memories with the people she loved. Her friends had a special way of making sure she did just that. They would get her out of the house and off on little weekend adventures, even during the seasons when she was losing her hair and facing the realities of treatment. Those trips gave her something to look forward to and reminded her to keep living, laughing, and enjoying the life she had been given. 

Jerrolyn was blessed with a beautiful voice and a deep love for music. She sang solos in church and at the weddings of close friends, creating memories that many will treasure. Her love of music became part of her legacy through her son, Jack, who shares her gift and appreciation for music. 

Family was at the center of Jerrolyn's heart. She especially cherished her mother and missed her deeply after her passing several years ago. One of the sweetest comforts now is knowing that Jerrolyn is reunited with her mother, the woman she loved and missed so much. 

She was also immensely proud of her son, Jack, and wanted more than anything to see him succeed in the life he had worked so hard to build. Watching him pursue his dream in medical school brought her tremendous joy and pride. Even through her own difficult journey, she was looking toward his future and wanting to see all that God had in store for him. 

Jerrolyn was a prayer warrior in the truest sense of the word. If you shared something with her, you could be certain she would carry it to the Lord. Her prayers were personal, faithful, and persistent.

After a long battle with cancer, Jerrolyn faced the reality of her illness with a courage that was rooted in faith. Her life was so much more than this final chapter, but this season revealed something extraordinary about the woman she was. She made a conscious decision to keep living, loving, giving, encouraging, and serving others. Even while walking through her own deepest valley, she continued to walk in the image of the One she loved, keeping her eyes focused on the Lord and her heart focused outward on the people around her. 

Jerrolyn remained remarkably private about her own pain. Her instinct was to protect others from the weight of what she was carrying. Even when she was hurting, she wanted to know how everyone else was doing. She was far more comfortable being the caretaker than being cared for. Robert knew that better than anyone. He cared for her with extraordinary love and devotion throughout her illness, walking beside her through the hardest days and making sure that the woman who had spent her life taking care of everyone else was cared for, too. 

Through her illness, Jerrolyn's faith did not diminish. It deepened. She once shared that she had not lost faith in God; she had actually grown closer to Him. There came a point when she no longer wanted her prayers to be focused only on asking for a miracle of healing. She understood that her greatest hope was not simply in being healed, but in knowing and trusting the One who held her life in His hands. 

She had not lost her faith. She had drawn closer to her Shepherd. 

The words of Psalm 23 held a special place in Jerrolyn's heart. Its message became a beautiful reflection of her faith. The Lord was her Shepherd. He was with her in the green pastures and quiet waters, and He was with her as she walked through the darkest valley. She trusted that she would never walk it alone. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” Psalm 23:4 Jerrolyn lived that truth.

She loved her family fiercely. She loved her friends as family. She loved to give, to pray, to celebrate, to encourage, to talk, to listen, to adventure, and to know the details of the lives of those around her. She loved well. And that is why she will be so deeply missed. 

We will miss her beautiful voice, her laughter, her stories, her messages, her prayers, her brownies and peanut butter pies, and the way she made each person feel that they mattered. We will miss the way she showed up for birthdays and anniversaries, celebrated accomplishments, remembered the hard days, and found a reason to bring a little happiness wherever she went. 

But we do not grieve without hope. The battle is over. The suffering is finished. The faith she held so tightly has become sight. 

Jerrolyn is now in the presence of the Savior she loved so deeply and trusted so completely. She is whole. She is at peace. She is home. And the love she gave so freely remains in Robert, in Jack, in her family, in the friends she loved as family, in the people she prayed for, in the medical teams she encouraged, in the music she shared, and in every life she touched. 

Jerrolyn was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald R. “Jerry” Martin and Carolyn Hankins and her stepbrother Craig Hankins, and her brother-in-law Randy Owens. 

She is survived by her husband, Robert; her son, Jack; her stepdaughter, Kristin L. Owens; her brother, Gerald Martin (Judy); her stepbrothers, Steve Hankins (Joann), Wayne Hankins (Beth), and Shane Hankins (Vicky); her brother-in-law, Donald Owens (Glenda); her sister-in-law, Kaye Waelde (Charlie); six nephews, nine nieces, and many extended family members.

Our precious Jerrolyn may have left this earth far too soon, but the love she gave so freely will live on in all of us who were blessed to know her. 

She followed her Shepherd all the way home. 

These beautiful words were not written by me, but a very dear friend who loved her dearly. Myself and Jack approved by not changing a single word.

 Visitation: Friday August 14, 2026 Ott and Lee in Brandon 5 - 7 pm 

Service: Saturday August 15, 2026 First Baptist Church Brandon 309 S. College Street (downtown campus)-Visitation 9am Service 10am 

Graveside: Raleigh, MS Hwy 35, Mimosa dr & Turner chapel rd