BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
Jnell Pleasant, age 90, having suffered with severe dementia for the past few years, (Mom, Maw Maw, Grandmother, Aunt Jnell) has been set free from the bondage of this body. We have no doubt that she is dancing in Heaven today. Because of her faith, we believe that she’s regained her brilliant mind, her sweet and loving disposition, her beautiful smile and yet, if the lord allows her in the kitchen, she probably still can’t make cornbread that will hold together on a plate.
Born on December 4th, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri, to John Pleasant and Nelle Adams Pleasant. As a small child her family lived in Los Angeles, California and Xenia, Ohio, before moving to Oak Ridge, Tennessee in 1943, when Jnell was seven. She attended Linden Elementary School, Jefferson Junior High School, and graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1953. Following high school, she attended Fort Sanders Nursing School where she earned her degree as a Registered Nurse.
After working a couple of years in the nuclear medicine field, and upon discovering that she was pregnant with her first child, she began work at what would become Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Jnell enjoyed a long and rewarding career as a Labor and Delivery nurse, retiring from MMC in 1999. Jnell was an active member of her union and served in union leadership for years.
She was also an active member of Robertsville Baptist Church for many years, where she raised her children and served as a Deacon.
Mom loved her children. Maw Maw / Grandmother loved her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Aunt Jnell loved Rick and Kevin. Jnell loved people and often found a way to start a conversation with a perfect stranger, simply because she genuinely did love people.
She also loved her little “C” house off Pennsylvania Ave. Her quiet, peaceful home that even smelled like love.
Jnell always believed, and taught her children to understand, that it’s not enough to simply participate. She believed that whether it was her place of employment, her church, or a civic endeavor, it was important to not only participate, but to genuinely be involved and to serve when the opportunity presented itself. She was the living embodiment of leaving a place better than she found it.
Jnell is survived by her five children, David (Brenda) Crowe of Knoxville, Robbie (Ed) Griffin of Hartselle, Alabama, Michael (Brenda) Crowe of Madison, Alabama, Phillip (Trudy) Crowe of Harrison, Tennessee, and Tim (Renee) Crowe of Franklin, Tennessee; her eighteen grandchildren, Larry Yingling, Ricky Yingling, Dana Coppock, Jenna Middleton, Dylan Bush, Rachel Nelson, Bryn Crowe, Amada Van Erp, Matthew Griffin, Crissy Stegherr, Cassie Hillis, Aidan Crowe, Liam Crowe, Justin Davis, Jon Crowe, Nicholas Crowe, Victoria Williams, Emma Crowe. A blue million great grandchildren, and multiple adopted nieces and nephews.
A celebration of Jnell’s life will be held September 19 at Weatherford’s Mortuary, 158 South Jefferson Circle, Oak Ridge. Visitation at 12:30pm, Celebration Service at 1:30pm, followed by a graveside service at 3:00pm (Oak Ridge Memorial Garden).
