It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Thelma “Jean” Zeigler Waldroup on Wednesday, July 10, 2024, at the age of 81. Jean was born on June 17, 1943, in Dutton, AL to Emmett Loody Zeigler and Grace Ila Mae Murphree Zeigler.
She met the love of her life Wally on November 15, 1959. September 1, 1960, they married and September 1st they would have been married 64 years. She had 3 children, 11 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews.
She had a very interesting life having been a military wife. After her first child was born, she lived between her parents’ house in Dutton, AL and Wally’s parents’ house in Kingston, TN. Wally was in Germany at that time. After Wally came back stateside, she had her second child and from there she moved to Japan with two young children. After moving back to the states, she then made Lawton (Ft. Sill), OK her home where her third child was born. The next place of adventure was moving to Gelnhausen, Germany. Oh, the adventures she had then traveling to Paris, Barcelona, Piza to name just a few of the places she traveled while living in Germany. Coming back stateside she settled in Ayer (Ft. Devins), MA. It was the next move that brought her here to Pensacola, FL, and here she remained in Cantonment, FL.
She had some jobs working at the base PX and some bookkeeping for a real estate company, but her passion was being a Dental Assistant. She graduated from Pensacola Junior College with a degree in Dental Assisting and started working at the Escambia County Dental Department. It was here that she met and developed a long-lasting friendship with Dr. W.W. “Skip” Rogers, DDS. Of whom she ceremoniously adopted as her son when he turned 50. Even after retiring from the Dental Department she still would go every Wednesday evening and work with Dr. Rogers at his private practice, continuing this for many years.
One of her great loves was Elvis. She was all about Elvis. Huge fan. She even looked up her genealogy and found that both of her parents were related to Elvis’s grandparents. After finding out she was related she became an even bigger fan. If you saw her house just about every room had something Elvis. Her phone case was Elvis in addition to her ring tone.
Jean was also very passionate about politics. Most conversations always led back to the news of the day. In fact, riding with her in the backseat (window’s) was Trump on one side and Elvis on the other.
It would not feel right if it was not mentioned one of our favorite sayings about her was when she would get very boisterous and passionate and if she got really worked up about something she wanted to go her way we would call it pulling a Thelma Jean! Even when we do the same, we say we are pulling a Thelma Jean.
She had a love for shopping at thrift stores for bargains. When it came to clothes, shoes, jewelry, purses she always found the best deals. We teased that she could be another Imelda Marcos because of how many shoes she had. She always wanted to look and dress well. Her love of clothes, shoes, and costume jewelry came from how she grew up. She had many stories about dragging a sack and picking cotton and having fingers bleeding from it. Getting hand me down clothes from her sister and cousin’s and using safety pins to make them fit longer.
She wasn’t the best cook and she got teased about her bread (which she always seemed to burn.) We called it Jean Bread. So, when we burn our bread, we say it is Jean Bread. But she could really be crafty. When one of her grandsons said he was going to be Elvis, she decked him out. The white jumpsuit with the rhinestones could have rivaled the one Elvis wore. She was always coming up with a new craft. She made cement hands that would be placed on a gravesite and hold a pot of flowers or a plant. If anyone needed any mending, she was the one to go to. She loved to sew and made her kids clothes until they got older, then she made the grandkids cute outfits. If you got one of the quilts she made, you are blessed. She started making jewelry too. Quilting, sewing, crafts, embroidering were just a few of her specialties.
Gardening had become her haven when she wanted to get outside. She has Roses and plants that came from her grandmother, mother, and aunt. Rose scent was always one of her favorite perfumes and a scent she was known for.
One of her other passions was that she loved Jesus. As a child she attended church at Chaney’s Chapel in Dutton, AL. Moving here she found her church family as a member of the Farm Hill Fellowship Church in Cantonment, FL. Her church family is devastated and saddened by the loss of Jean.
Jean loved her family deeply and she will be missed every day.
Of her family, she is preceded in joining the Lord by her father, Emmett Loody Zeigler (1906-1991); mother, Grace Ila Mae Murphree Zeigler (1906-1991); her brother, Emmett Loody Zeigler, Jr. “Junior” (1940-1941); as well as her older sister, Carolyn Mary Zeigler Freeman (1938-2023).
She is survived by her husband, James M. (Wally) Waldroup; her sister, Vera “Dean” Shaw (Bob); brother-in-law, Wren Freeman; daughter, Tenice (Tennessee) Sue Waldroup Kendrick (Doug); grandchildren, Kristy Mabire (John Stone) and Mary Lee (Nick Work); great grandchildren, Dylan and Elijah Stearns, Breanne Browning, Kaydence and Jensen Work; daughter, Rosemary “Yvette” McLellan (John); grandchildren, Greg McLellan (Alicia), Rebecca Oberto (Roy); great grandchildren Dylan and Skyla Goins, Grayson, Parker and Grace McLellan, John and Luke Oberto, Son James M (Mike) Waldroup (Lynne) Grandchildren Dalton Waldroup, Rachael Jokerst (Mat), Trey Waldroup, Brandon Yasurek (Cheyenn), Alex James (Kaiden), Joey Yasurek, Ethan Waldroup and Great Grandchildren Cooper and Bella Waldroup, Aspen James, and Jayne Yasurek; and not to forget her “adopted son”, W.W. (Skip) Rogers (Mary).
To honor Jean, some of her ashes will be carried and spread over her parents and brothers resting place in Chaney Chapel’s Cemetery at Dutton, AL.
A memorial service to honor and celebrate Jean’s life will be held at 2:00pm Saturday, September 7, 2024, at Farm Hill Fellowship Church, 1251 Muscogee Rd., Cantonment, FL.
