Jean Brokaw Bynum was born on, Saturday, January 27, 1934, to Everett “Cricket” and Oma Rodgers Brokaw at Quarry B in Batesville, Arkansas. She passed from this life on Sunday, August 7, in Batesville, Arkansas.
She was preceded in death by her parents, eight sisters, Betty Harris-White, Billie Brokaw, Naoma Rohrscheib, Ethel Alfreda Brokaw, Della Juanita Brokaw, Daisy Thompson, and Earlene White, one brother, Charles Brokaw, her husband of almost 42 years, Raymond “Pete” Bynum. two bonus children, David Bynum and Linda Pearcy.
Survivors include one daughter Debbie Varner and husband Wally, two grandchildren, Christian Varner and wife Ashley, and Hannah Varner, one great-granddaughter, Carley Varner all of Batesville.
She is also survived by two bonus children, Ray-Deen Popp and husband Len of La Palma, California, and Larry Bynum of Batesville, thirteen bonus grandchildren, several bonus great and great-great-grandchildren. She is survived by one sister, Bernice Mingues of Newark, Arkansas and one brother, Ira Brokaw of Batesville, Arkansas and many nephews, nieces, and a host of family and friends.
Today we come to celebrate the Homegoing of a lady who has left a great legacy of faith! When she was around 4 years old, her mother and father were saved at an old-fashioned brush arbor held at Pfeiffer. Soon after this Jean was saved and filled with the Holy Ghost at the age of 4 and has faithfully served God for 84 years. Many of her family members were saved because of the impact that her faith had made on their lives.
For much of her life, she was a member of the Church of God. She attended Cave Creek Church of God for most of her life. She was also a member of the Tupelo Church of God in Tupelo, Mississippi, and was a founding member of the Batesville Church of God formerly located at the corner of 25th and Neeley Streets that started out in a tent on that same sight. Since 2004, she has been attending Peaceful Harbor Pentecostal Church of God of Batesville, Arkansas, where she is known as “Sister Mamaw”.
She has served as a Sunday School teacher; she has helped in many fundraisers for various churches. She was nominated “Dorm Queen” for the Arkansas District PCG in 2011 for raising the most money to build dorms for the youth camp at Vilonia. Along with her husband Pete Bynum, she sang in many church services and even on a radio program in Tupelo, MS and Batesville, AR. She loved young people and did everything that she could to encourage them to live faithfully for Jesus.
As a young girl, Sis. Jean wanted to win a nice Bible that was being given away to the person in her school that learned the most Bible verses. Jean won the Bible by learning and quoting over 700 Bible verses. In Tipton, Indiana, Sis. Jean worked at for Stokely Foods peeling tomatoes. She was the fastest peeler and did a training movie in the 1950s to train others to peel tomatoes.
She worked hard all her life! She could pick 600-700 pounds of cotton a day and she was one fast strawberry picker! She worked on farms, restaurants, and factories. She worked as hard as any man. She helped support her parents and family until she got married at the age of 27.
She married Raymond “Pete” Bynum on August 30, 1961. Together they had one daughter, Debra Denise. She loved to sing for Jesus, and she loved to have yard sales and go to yard sales. She loved shopping and dressing up! Most of all, she loved to read and study the Bible. Some of her favorite moments were when she was attending church and singing for the Lord and being with her family.
She loved to travel, especially to fellowship meetings, youth rallies, or to camp meetings or gospel singings. She even traveled with the Arkansas District Youth Choir for several years, traveling over a thousand miles. She loved to visit different places and see all the sights. She was always on the go. Age and Alzheimer’s had affected her greatly the last few years, but neither was able to keep her from remembering Jesus and quoting Scriptures, and neither was able to keep her from traveling her longest journey—all the way to Heaven!
Funeral services will be Tuesday, August 9, 2022, at 2 p.m, at First Church of Batesville with Caleb Harris and Helen Baker officiating. Burial will follow in the Weavers Chapel Cemetery.
Arrangements are by Qualls Batesville Funeral Service.
Visitation will be Monday, August 8, 2022, from 6 until 8 p.m. at the Qualls Batesville Funeral Service Chapel.
Pallbearers will be James Harris, Michael Harris, Ricky Harris, Scotty Harris, Sanford Candler and Jeremy Williams.
Honorary Pallbearers are the men of Peaceful Harbor Church and Caleb Spinks.
