Henry Clifton Jarrell

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FULTON – Henry Clifton Jarrell, 87, passed away Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. He was born April 10, 1933, in Itawamba County to Emmett and Clester Owens Jarrell. His great, great, grandfather lived to be 114.  He said he was going to beat his record or die trying.  Which he did.

A son of Itawamba County, Henry Clifton grew up farming in the horse culture, and both remained central to his life, even as the world moved on. A talented man, he turned his hand at many things to survive that transition and provide for family. He was a farm manager, a logger, a furniture and cabinet maker, a housebuilder, a heavy equipment operator, a plumber, a firefighter, a restaurateur several times over, a trailer manufacturer, a short order cook, a body repair man, a hospital handyman and welcome bus driver, among other things. His love though, was preaching, proclaiming the good news at several area congregations and with his family as missionaries in Ghana, West Africa.

Cliff loved to write and was a willing sharer of stories, poems, and sayings, passing along country wisdom and humor. He was also a willing sharer of whatever he had, doing what he could to help others when needed. Always hospitable, he was quick to volunteer his place plus food to bring others together, reminding all of a "big ol' welcome." Refusing to say "goodbye" he insisted on saying "next time," which we now look forward to ourselves.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, December 13, at the McNeece-Morris Funeral Home Chapel in Fulton. Burial will follow in Saucer Creek Cemetery.

Survivors include two sons, Cliff Jarrell, Jr. (Nkiru) of Nigeria and Philip Jarrell (Myra) of Kansas City, Missouri; one daughter, Donna Griffin (Brian) of Saltillo; one brother, Dealon Jarrell of Savannah, TN; one sister, Dianne Shelby of Bartlett, TN; eight grandchildren, Jeremiah, Jonathan, Walker, Will, and Wyatt Jarrell, Molly Watson (Wynne), Megan Woodward (Justin), and Madeline Jarrell; and a host of adopted grandsons and granddaughters in Africa; and a host of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Ida Nell Sisco Jarrell; his parents; one brother, Emmett Owens Jarrell; four sisters, Wayne Willmarth, Dell Bolton, Wanda Craig, and Nancy Lampley; and a special friend, Eda Claire Slabaugh.

Pallbearers will be Jeremiah Jarrell, Walker Jarrell, Will Jarrell, Wyatt Jarrell, Blake Jarrell, Shannon Grubbs, and Mike Lampley.

Honorary pallbearers will be the men of Saucer Creek Church of Christ.

Visitation will be from 1:30 p.m. until service time Sunday at McNeece-Morris Funeral Home in Fulton.

For family and friends unable to attend Mr. Jarrell's funeral service, the service will be livestreamed from the McNeece-Morris Funeral Home Facebook page located at https://www.facebook.com/mcneece.morris/live.

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