Tommie Jean Ross

Tommie Jean (Irvin) Ross, age 97 of La Crosse, and formerly of Huntsville, AL, passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at Brookdale Senior Living in La Crosse, WI. She was born November 21, 1925, in Laurel, Miss. (Jones County) to Thomas William Irvin (originally, Irving) of Mount Vernon, AL (Mobile Co.) and Eula "Honeycomb" (Clifton) Irvin of McLain, Miss. (Greene Co.). Her father worked for the Gulf, Mobile, & Ohio RR as a locomotive engineer. Graduating from Laurel High School, she enjoyed a 60-year career as a secretary. She worked for: Humble Oil (now Exxon) in New Orleans; First Baptist Church in Lumberton, Miss.; Mountain View Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala.; the State of Florida in Tallahassee; and Teledyne-Brown Engineering in Huntsville.

She met William Henry Ross, Sr. at Second Ave. Baptist Church, Laurel. He was born on a farm near Tucker's Crossing and Myrick, Miss. They married on August 18, 1947, in Laurel. He was called by God to preach the gospel; they began their marriage with him entering New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and her assisting with church work. They served in Baptist churches in Napoleon and Rio, Louisiana; Cottonwood, Alabama; Stonewall, Lumberton, and Morton, Miss.; Huntsville, Ala.; Havana, Florida; and Hazel Green, Alabama. After his retirement in 1987, they relocated to Huntsville and she assisted him at Beulah Presbyterian, Elkmont, Ala.

They had one son, William Henry Ross, Jr. (Kristine), born in Lumberton, Miss. In 2010, Jean moved to La Crosse, WI to be near the couple - and Jean's five grandchildren.

She is further survived by her nephew, Tom (Celie) Windham and their daughters. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband (2007), and three sisters: Doris Rae "Jackie" Irving, and Betty (Monty) Windham, both of Laurel, and Peggy (Lynn) Hunter of Clarksville, Tenn.

Tommie Jean loved her family, her co-workers, and her many friends. She cherished her church friends in various communities where she worshipped, taught adult ladies' Bible Study, visited the sick, and played piano. She created award-winning recipes, (e.g, a 1978 Florida Beef Recipe Contest) and enjoyed writing (many stories were published in church magazines). Jean has been an example, embodying the fruit of the spirit in gentleness, love, and faithfulness to her Lord. Her body will be buried next to that of her husband in Laurel.

Tommie Jean's family thanks the staff Brookdale Senior Living Center and Gundersen Health System Hospice.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at Schumacher-Kish Funeral and Cremation Services of La Crosse, 200 West Ave. S., La Crosse, WI 54601. Rev. Mark D. Clements is officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Graveside services will take place at Lake Park Cemetery in Laurel, MS.