Juanita Ames

Funeral services for Mrs. Juanita Ames, age 92 of Farmerville, LA, will be held at 2:00 PM, Sunday, January 19, 2025 at First Baptist Church in Farmerville, LA with Rev. Kurt Auger and Rev. Hank Hamilton officiating. Interment will follow at Beulah Cemetery Spearsville, LA, under the direction of Farrar Funeral Home. 

Born in Mer Rouge, Louisiana, Juanita was a caregiver from the beginning. She dropped out of school to care for her mother and was able to return to Spearsville High School graduating in 1954 with her sister Ann. After high school she moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, living in a boarding house with her dear friend Irma, she would ride to work to Greens Department Store on a trolley. On the weekends she and Irma would go to the Louisiana Hay Ride where she saw Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and other perform. In 1959 while John Wayne was filming The Horse Soldiers in Shreveport, she attended a parade to commemorate the filming. She saw John Wayne and was almost able to touch him and from that moment she was a constant fan. In 1960 she met the love of her life, Ashley. While he was working across the street from Greens Department Store at Woolworths, he would visit Greens Department Store where he messed up the greeting cards that Juanita oversaw and so their journey began. They married in the sixties and soon welcomed their first daughter Deborah Lynn. They moved to Farmerville, Louisiana and later moved to Haile, Louisiana where they welcomed their second daughter Dorothy Sue. In 1979 they moved the family back to Farmerville and Juanita started baby sitting at her home during the week, with her first child being Carla McKenzie. When began her journey as “NeNe”, soon other children joined, Rachel, Natalie and Bethany Towns, David and Phillip Allen, Nikki and Amada Gray, Heather and Renita Smiley, Crystal and David Wilkes, Miller McVay, Patty and Holly Schumacher. She became a member of the First Baptist Church of Farmerville, where she served in the Nursery for over 30 years. After retiring from the Nursery, she was blessed with three granddaughters and would babysit once again for her only grandson. Once her babysitting days were over, she became active in the Union Counsel on Aging, socializing, playing Bingo, running the roads, shopping and dining with her sister Alyce, playing Chicken Foot with her sisters, and solving Search A Word puzzles.

Juanita was the most loving and kindhearted Christian woman and she touched so many in her life’s journey. Our lives will be forever changed on this earth, but our Angel is smiling and flying high in Heaven, forever strong and always caring.

Juanita was preceded in death by her husband: Ashley R. Ames; parents: Willie Gordon Ruby and Audrey Rebecca Doster; brothers: Bill Ruby, Raymond Ruby, and Robert Ruby; sisters: Doris Nance and Katie Pruitt; brothers in law: Chester Pruitt, Bill Nance, and Jack Hamilton; and sister-in-law: LaRue Ruby.

She is survived by her daughters: Debbie Dollar (Lavelle), Dottie McConkey (Mike); grandchildren: Shelby Dannehl (Matt), Samantha Dollar, Shayna Dollar, and Gabriel Kenley; step grandchild: Kyle McConkey (Lindsey); great grandchild: Arkyn Dannehl; step great grandchild: Perri McConkey; sisters: Ann Hamilton and Alyce Milford; and numerous nieces, nephews, family members, and friends.

Serving as pallbearers will be Gabriel Kenley, Patrick White, Dan Boyd, Alex Estes, Dylan Boyd, and Matt Dannehl. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Kyle McConkey, Mazion Pepper, Robert Allen, and Royce Dyer.

Visitation will be held prior to the service, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Sunday, January 19, 2025 at First Baptist Church in Farmerville, LA.

The family would like to express our sincere thanks to Arbor Lake Nursing and Rehab, Nurses, CNAs, and Staff, Dr. Venters, and Elara Hospice Care, Nurses and Staff, for the loving care that was given to our Moma, NeNe/ Ms. Juanita.