Zella Louise Jude
1935—2023
Zella Louise Jude, 88, went home to her Savior Sept. 24, 2023, resting at home with her family by her side after living a rich, complete life and spending all her energy loving and giving to her family.
She was born March 21, 1935, in Crites, West Virginia.
Louise was married to John Oct. 10, 1953, and remained married until his passing April 15, 2017. During these 54 years, they worked hard to provide their children and grandchildren with a better life.
There are different stories about how many days they knew each other before they got married, but the low number is five, while the high number is 10 days. They had Hollywood good looks and must have been having fun because they did not have kids for 10 years. But when they did start having kids, they did that well, too. Between 1964 and 1972 they had five children. On Aug. 11, 1971, they bought a home in River Bend, where they raised their kids and gave them a great start.
Their love was evident in their actions but reinforced by their words and affection. Louise was an “exceptional mother.” According to a niece, “She was not the best housekeeper because her kids took such high priority.” And that was the truth. She achieved exceptional motherhood while working full time in a factory for most of her life. By working different shifts, she managed to keep all five kids in sports nearly year-round. And she did not just drop us off. She ran the concession stand or was cheering very loudly.
Louise attended Man High School but never graduated, probably because she got a job at a local grill where she met and eloped with our dad. She did get her GED when her kids were in grade school. She got an engineering tech certification from Owens (Illinois) TechnaGlass around 1983.
She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Renee and Elba; her siblings, Nanny, Ethel, Hiram, Jimmy, David, Carl, Otis and Paul.
Survivors include her dear sister, Sarah, and her ornery brother, Forrest. She loved them all very much. Additional survivors include her children, John (Lora), Randall, Lisa (dear departed husband Wayne), Teresa (Isrreal), and Linette (Steve); grandchildren, Rebekah, Kristin, Amanda, Rachel, Olivia, Hillary, Sarah, John, Bryton, Wayne, Phoebe, Zachary and Joshua; adopted grandchildren, Haylee and Matthew; great-grandchildren, Rylee, Roc, Kensington, Peyton, Farrah, Duke, Jude and Emeline.
The celebration of life was Saturday at the Newcomer Funeral Home in Grove City, Ohio. The internment was Sunday with a graveside service at the Jude-Fletcher cemetery on Petercave Fork Road off Route 1714 in Martin County, Kentucky.
Louise did not believe in funeral flowers much, but we know she would approve of you taking the money you would spend on flowers and taking a loved one out to eat and expressing your affection for them. Arrangements are under the direction of Newcomer Funeral Home of Grove City, Ohio, and Crum Funeral Home of Inez.