Thelma Jean Wade, 79, passed away peacefully on November 25th, 2024, surrounded by loved ones as she was welcomed into the arms of our Creator. Born on February 3rd, 1945, in Greenville, Texas to Thelma Polly Manley and Johnnie Bell Manley, Jean graduated from Greenville High School in 1963 and cherished her community throughout her life.
Jean found her salvation through Jesus Christ while attending Lamar Baptist Church in her youth. Jean possessed an unwavering faith in the Lord and turned to prayer, asking God to send her a man from beyond the borders of her small town- a man with a kind heart who she believed, deep down, was out there in the world, waiting just for her. Melvin Twain Wade was a prayer answered. Jean and Melvin married on July 6th, 1963, and together, they built a home in the countryside of Greenville, where they raised their three children: Marcus Twain, Martin Thomas, and Melinda Jean Wade. The Wade family embraced each blessed moment together, love abounding as they traversed the course of life.
In 1987, Jean and Melvin’s eldest son, Marc, tragically passed away, leaving the family devastated by an unimaginable loss. Yet, through their deep faith and trust in the Lord, they found the strength to endure the grief and overcome the unthinkable, holding on to one another and their shared belief that love and faith could see them through even the darkest of times. Jean carried the love for her son and his memory in her heart everyday, and allowed such a deep pain to transform her- to allow her to love deeply despite the fear and to love the Lord with a deeper reverence built on the firsthand knowledge that He never leaves our sides.
In the early 1980’s, Jean opened Hobby Time Ceramics with her brother, Bobby Manley. A pioneering business woman, Jean capitalized on an untapped market and touched the hearts of those who came to her. Jean’s bubbly persona and welcoming smile, alongside her talent for the arts, allowed her business to thrive during the height of ceramics’ popularity. Later, she rebranded the ceramics shop into a flea market- Four Generations Mini Mall, where vendors eagerly rented booths from her. However, Jean’s success wasn’t driven by a desire for riches, but by her passion for creativity and connection. She loved people deeply, and often without intending to, impacted those she met by sharing her testimony. Her life reflected the love of God- her light a beacon of goodness.
Jean was many things in her extraordinary life: a loving wife, a devoted mother, a trailblazing business owner, a doting grandmother. But above all, Jean possessed a deep love for the Lord and sought to fulfill His mission. Like salt of the earth, Jean embodied the best of humanity, spreading love wherever she went. Whether picking up children for church or sharing how God had blessed her life with patrons at the flea market, Jean’s life was an ongoing praise to God. Though her life was touched by grief, her faith in Jesus’ love never wavered.
Jean is survived by her loving husband, Melvin Wade; her children, Martin Thomas Wade and wife, Hollie Wade, and Melinda Jean Rumph and husband, Mark Rumph; grandchildren, Michael and Priscilla Wade, Macie and Justin Taylor, Tiffany Wade, Mark Wade, Cody and Taylor Rumph, Payton Allen, and Kacie Rumph; great-grandchildren, Macen, Miles, and Maxton Wade, Jordan and Jason Taylor, and Wren Rumph; brother, Jerry Manley and wife Sue Manley.
She is preceded in death by her eldest son, Marcus Twain Wade, who she is joyously reunited with at last; parents Thelma Polly and Johnnie Bell Manley; brother Bob Manley and wife Donna Manley; brother-in-law Tom Jenkins, niece Katrina Rodriguez, and great-nephew Garrett Kilgore.
What could possibly be said about Jean that would come close to explaining how truly blessed the world was by her existence in it? The Bible teaches us these principles of kindness and love, yet she personified the goodness of God. The right words will never be enough because Jean cannot be explained in something as simple as words. She was living art, breathing kindness, moving love. Her laughter was unwritten music, her smile the first rays of springtime sunlight, warm and effervescent. Those who knew her would understand why the words don’t reach; that sort of lightning in a bottle that was Jean Wade could never be done justice penned on paper. Yet we still try. To love her was to feel a tether to a higher power, the kind of love that will remain with us forever and it is our gift to be able to carry her with us.
Visitation will be on Friday, November 29th from 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM; The celebration of life will follow the next day, November 30th at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, both events held at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home. Join us to honor a lifetime of faith and celebrate the blessed reunification of Jean Wade with those who’ve departed before us and with her Lord and Savior.
”Whenever heartache or sorrow comes our way, the Lord knows what is down the road ahead. I have learned to trust Him because somehow, somewhere, or sometime, there will be blessings that follow.” -Jean Wade, 1988
