Sharon "Jill" Newell was born to Willie and Mary Gardner Nov. 5, 1949,
in Bastrop, Louisiana. She grew up in Mississippi, graduating from Horn
Lake High School. Several years later, she was blessed with the
beginning of her family: her son, John, was born, and five years later,
her daughter, Donna. Eventually the family moved to Valley Center, where
Jill met the love of her life, Charles Newell. They met in 1989 and
married July 11, 1991. Jill was the epitome of southern charm and
hospitality, demonstrating through her interactions and relationships
what a big heart she possessed. When describing Jill, it would be
appropriate to say she was a southern belle and that she was a genuine,
caring and loving woman.
Jill loved gardening and a wide array of
flowers but was particularly fond of daisies and pansies. She took joy
in painting and crafting, and she enjoyed poetry, with Emily Dickinson
being a classic favorite. She was an active member in the community and
in her church and known to many children as "Grandma" in the community.
She
is survived by father; daughter, Donna Leftwich; son, John Sullivan;
sisters, Felicia and husband, Kyle Ellis, and Lecy Gardner; brother,
Joel and wife, Wanda Gardner; and grandchildren, Austin Leftwich,
Hannah, Hailey and Hunter Sullivan. She was preceded in death by her mother, and brother, Terry Gardner.
Visitation will be held
Thursday, June 12, 2014, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Petersen Funeral Home in
Newton, with family greeting friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Funeral service
will be held Friday, June 13, 2014, at 10 a.m. at St. Luke Evangelical
Church in Newton. Burial will immediately follow service in Greenwood
Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for memorials to be made to
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or St. Luke Evangelical Church for the youth group.
