NOLA MARIE JAHNA FERRELL
of Jacksonville, Ark., passed away peacefully on Monday, March 2, 2020. Nola was born April 3, 1950, in Lake Wales, Florida, to Francis H. and Wanda Jean Jahna. We’re almost positive that the Jahna household became a lot more verbal in the years after Nola’s birth! Nola loved her parents dearly but was most definitely a daddy’s girl. She enjoyed telling stories about her parents to anyone who would listen!
After graduating high school in 1968, Nola left Lake Wales for Rome, Georgia, where she enrolled at Berry College. It was there that Nola developed some incredible friendships. Her Berry College friends have remained extremely close all these years and Nola cherished her trips to Rome, Ga. and the visits her friends would make to her home in Arkansas. Berry College did not have social groups so Nola made everyone on campus a member of her personal sorority and fraternity! Berry held a special place in Nola’s heart from the time she walked on campus til the day God called her home. Nothing thrilled Nola more than to take people to Berry College and show off the beautiful campus and share about her experiences there.
During the summer of 1971, friends say that Nola went to the beach one day to meet some boys from “far away”. Instead, she met a special guy that lived only 20 miles from her hometown! John (J.R.) Ferrell became the love of her life and they would end up sharing almost 47 years together.
Soon after they married, J.R.’s employer transferred him to Jacksonville, Ark., and Nola went to work as a teacher in Little Rock. A couple of years later, she was hired at Arnold Drive Elementary in Jacksonville. She retired from Arnold Drive in 2012 after 40 years in education.
Although Nola and J.R. never had children of their own, Nola had hundreds of kids! The impact Nola had on the lives of children was evidenced by the daily calls, Facebook messages, e-mails and texts that she would receive from adults of many ages over the years. On her birthday and holidays, she would be inundated with messages, phone calls, and cards. To know Nola was to love Nola. And Nola returned that love fiercely.
There was never any guessing as to what Nola thought! Her words were straight-forward and truthful. Her family and friends will miss hearing, “I love your guts!” We knew that she truly meant it! We will miss the special gifts, the phone calls, the Facebook messages and the texts. We will miss hearing her commentary on everything from weather to politics. We will miss her big hugs and her words of encouragement. Heaven has truly gained a special angel.
Nola did not want a big fuss over her at death. She requested no funeral, no visitation and no memorial service. At her request, Nola’s body will be cremated and her ashes spread at Berry College and Lake Aurora in Florida. And though she will no longer be here in body, she will remain in the memory of those who loved her to the moon and back.
Nola is survived by her husband, John R (J.R) Ferrell. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara Bonnay, her brother, Richard N. Jahna (Debby) and her brother Francis H. Jahna Jr. She will be missed by her four nephews, one niece, two great nephews and one greatniece. Nola was so proud of her large family and bragged about her 19 first cousins, 42 second cousins, 28 third cousins and the two that are on the way!
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society or Pathfinder, Inc. in Jacksonville, Ark. Arrangements by Moore’s Jacksonville Funeral Home. (501) 982-2136. www.mooresjacksonvillefuneralhome.com.