Christeen Vandevender Clark

Mrs. Christeen Clark, 98, of Shuqualak, MS passed away at her home Thursday, June 17, 2021.  A funeral service is planned for Sunday, June 20, 2021, at Butler Pentecostal Church at 12:00 p.m. Interment will follow in Butler Cemetery.  A visitation will be held at the church from 10 a.m. until service time Sunday.  Memorials may be made to Butler Cemetery Fund, 991 Johnny Higginbotham Rd., Shuqualak, MS 39341. Cockrell Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements.

Christeen Vandevender Clark was born on January 31, 1923, to the late Earnest and Onie Patterson Vandevender in Winston County. She graduated from Central School. After high school, Christeen married Tilton Clark and they had four children: Marjorie, Willie “Bud”, Bill, and Joe. Christeen grew up working at a young age and she instilled that work ethic in her children and her grandchildren.  They each had chores assigned to them each day. Christeen worked at the pants factory in Macon for twenty-six years and then went to work at the glove factory for twenty-three years until her health made her quit and allowed her to stay home to take care of her garden and chickens. Christeen would get up before daylight and pick her bounty from her garden before making a big breakfast for her family that included her “cathead” biscuits with all the trimmings each day. Christeen was a very generous and caring lady. When someone in the community would lose their home to a fire or natural disaster, she was quickly gathering a quilt she had made plus homegrown vegetables and canned goods to send to the family in need the next day.  She would do this for many families through the years. Christeen was a member of Butler Pentecostal Church. Recently she was featured on a television program called Mississippi Roads that focused on how self-sufficient she was and about her several gardens that she grew and took care of herself. She was known as the most hard-working person up until about two years ago.  She is preceded in death by her parents, husband: Tilton Clark, and several siblings.

Christeen’s survivors include her daughter: Marjorie Clark Eaves-Linden, AL; Willie “Bud” Clark of Shuqualak, MS; Bill Clark of Columbus, MS; and Joe Clark of Shuqualak, MS; sister: Earnestine Lee of Preston, MS; two brothers: Rufus “Punk” Vandevender and Elvis Vandevender of Preston, MS.; seven grandchildren; fifteen great grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren.