Jerry "JA" Jester

Jerry “JA” Jester, age 88, of Dierks, passed away on Wednesday, September 16, 2020.

He was born to Alvin and Marie Jester on October 14, 1931, in Dierks. On June 3, 1950, he was married to Betty Lou Walker, at the parsonage of the Assembly of God Church in Dierks, who preceded him in death on November 11, 2011. He was also preceded in death by his two grandsons, Charles Aaron Ming and Benjamin Jester; his parents; and his siblings, Lois Marie Martinez, Billie Ruth Baker, Jimmy Calvin Jester, James Terrell Jester and son-in-law, Bob Ming. God blessed the loving union of JA and Betty with four wonderful children, and then was blessed to add their families, ten grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren, with one more on the way.

JA is survived by his children, Sherry Diane Ming of Centerville, Kansas, Pamela Kay Barber and her husband, Exie, of Ellsworth, Kansas, Jerry Stephen Jester and his wife, Karen, of Springfield, Missouri, and Michael Joseph Jester and his wife, Tammy, of Mount Ida; eight grandchildren, Bobby Ming, Jonathan Ming, Amber Ming, Cynthia Collins, Lanitha Tanton, Sabrina Yancy, Jacob Jester and Jill Seaton; seventeen great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Christine Tripeny of Katy, Texas and Shirley Ann Mayo of Kirby; two brothers, Thomas William Jester of Denham Springs, Louisiana and Billy Edwin Jester of Dierks; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members and a host of wonderful friends.

Jerry, known to most as JA, and to his grandkids and great-grandkids as Pa, was a friend to everyone he met and never met a stranger. He loved to teach from the Bible and to preach and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, whenever he was in the hospital for any length of time, by the time he left he knew the names of every single person who had served him and had most likely witnessed to them about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. He was organized to a fault and was always thinking of something that should be invented…amazingly many times discovering that someone, at a later date, invented what he had envisioned. One of his favorite pastimes was playing dominoes with his brothers and chess with his son-in-law. He was the historian of the family, for as Stephen Jester recalls, “not only could he tell you the day and the year, but he went so far as to tell you exactly what day of the week the day had been.” He was not privileged to serve in the armed forces, but he studied war history and could tell you what plane was flown, when the battle was, and what the outcome of the battle was. While he may not have fought in any battles, JA was a true warrior for His Lord and Savior.

Jerry Jester received his Exhorter’s Permit on November 1, 1955 and pastored multiple churches throughout Arkansas beginning in 1955 …. sometimes two churches at the same time. He pastored in Norman, McCaskill, Dierks, Lockesburg, White Oak, Bearden, Culvert Springs, Delight, and Hatfield. During his pastoral years at Hatfield, he also served as a sectional presbyter for the Assemblies of God for a number of years. He celebrated 50 years as an ordained minister on October 19, 2011.

The number one thing JA would want to be remembered for was that he was a servant of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that everyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior and Lord is promised that they will join him in heaven to live for all eternity in the presence and love of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Services will be held at 2:00 PM, Monday, September 21, 2020, in the Davis-Smith Funeral Home Chapel, Glenwood with Stephen Jester and Exie Barber officiating.

Visitation will be held Sunday, 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM, at the funeral home.

Social distancing directives will be in place with no more than 100 persons at any one time in the funeral home chapel, avoidance of physical contact and all attendees 10 years of age or older must be wearing a face covering at all times when inside the funeral home.

Interment will be in the Harmony Cemetery, near Dierks.

Pallbearers will be Jacob Jester, Jillian Seaton, Jonathan Ming, Bobby Ming, Jr., Amber Ming, Lanitha Tanton, Sabrina Yancy and Cynthia Collins.

Guest registry is at www.davis-smith.com.