Funeral Services will be held for Jessie H. Whitehead, age 87, on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.   Burial will follow at Orange Forest Lawn Cemetery in West Orange.

Pallbearers will be Brian Whitehead, Hank Whitehead, Dalton Taylor, Albert Laurents, Cathy Whitehead and Lisa Whitehead.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 5:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Officiating will be Reverend Mike Umbenhaur, Pastor of First Presbyterian church in Orange.

Jessie was born April 2, 1929, in Gueydan, Louisiana and passed away Sunday, May 15, 2016, in Beaumont. She was a long-time resident of Orange. She completed her degree at Lamar College in Orange and retired from the accounting department of J M Huber company, Orange Operations, in 1992.

She was an avid gardener and enjoyed serving as a Texas Master Gardener and as a member of the Southern Fruit Fellowship of amateur fruit growers. When not in the gardens she spent countless hours compiling an extensive family genealogy. She also was very accomplished at crochet and as a seamstress.

A highlight in her life was her marriage to Paul Whitehead in 1964. They shared very happy years until his early death in 1975. She was a devoted and loving, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt. She was kind and warm-hearted and will be missed by all.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Paul E. Whitehead, her parents, Fern E. And Albert E. Hartwell and sister, Alberta H. Laurents. She is survived by her sons, Brian E. Whitehead and wife Cathy of Baytown and Hank P. Whitehead and wife Lisa of Winnie, grandchildren, Whitney, Emily, Jennifer, Shannon, Dalton and Chelsea, great grandchildren, Rorie and Raleigh, sister Retta H. Davis and husband David of Shreveport, LA, nieces, Glenda Laurents of Duson, LA, Marilyn Inglis and husband John and, Gwen Whitehead of Orange, Charlotte Harvey and husband Raleigh of Houston, nephew Albert Laurents and wife Debi of Bastrop, TX, aunt, Bertha Spaetgens of Crowley, LA, brother-in-law,  Glen Laurents of Rayne, LA. sister-in-law Pat Nix and husband Wayne of Pittsburg, TX.  and many loved cousins.

The family would like to express special appreciation to Meagan Jones and to other Quality Care Services employees who were caregivers during her last years. A special acknowledgment to Ms. Robin, her mail carrier who greeted her each day during her many homebound years.

The family requests that memorials be made to Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, 6697 Main St., Houston, Texas  77030.