Inez Shirley Stephens, 93, died Monday, Nov. 9, 2015. She was born on April 14, 1922, in Clarke County to Harmon and Nora Shirley. She was one of nine children. 

Inez graduated from Kentwood High School in Louisiana in 1940 and Mississippi Baptist Hospital School of Nursing in 1944. During WWII she served as an ensign with the United States Navy Nurse Corps. After the war’s end, Inez and G.E. Stephens were married in 1946. They moved to Hobbs, New Mexico, where she worked in hospital nursing for many years and as a district school nurse for 34 years. In 1964, her family traveled to Tripoli, Libya, for two years, where she worked as a school nurse for the American Oil Company School, while Ed worked as a mechanic in the Saharan oil fields. Her passion for nursing drove her involvement in state and local nursing associations. In 1996, Inez moved to Brookhaven, where she lived for the past 19 years. She volunteered at King’s Daughters Hospital auxiliary for 12 years and was an active member of the First Baptist Church.
Her years on this earth were filled with exceptional service, unremitting love and devotion to family, nursing, church, community and country. She will be missed and her legacy as one of the “Greatest Generation” lives on.

Inez is survived by her sons, John (Gayle) and Don; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; six siblings; and many nieces and nephews.

Her final resting place will be Kentwood, Louisiana. Please visit our online guestbook for Inez at www.FrenchFunerals.com.