Stella Chavis

January 23, 1930 - April 16, 2012

TO VIEW AND PRINT OBITUARIES OFF THIS SITE, CLICK ON RESOURCES, AND THE YEAR OF OBITUARY, THEN CLICK ON YOUR LOVED ONE'S NAME. Mrs. Stella Mae Chavis was born to the late Hershell and Viola Tubbs Smith, in Temperance Hall, TN. She was acquainted with God at an early age and was baptized in Watertown, Tennessee, where she was raised. After meeting and marrying "Billy" Chavis, she moved briefly to New York, then to Detroit, MI. Stella was a working wife and mother of their two children, Rochelle and Jerome, but still found time to have fun…especially with her "siblings" in the Bass family, who were childhood friends in Watertown and had also moved to Detroit. She and Billy eventually retired and relocated to Watertown, where she was active in the community (from volunteer service to City Council candidate) and remained until God called her home. She leaves to cherish her memory her son Jerome Chavis (Atlanta, GA); daughter Rochelle Chavis (Los Angeles, CA); granddaughter, Sommer Woods (Detroit, MI) and grandson Aaron Chavis (San Francisco, CA); sister, Francis (Smith) Avery (Detroit, MI); foster sister Maxine (Harris) Bruce (Detroit, MI) and foster brother John D. Harris, Jr. (Lebanon, TN); a host of treasured family members and friends, including Jo Doris Pride (Lebanon, TN), Steven and Jenny Smith (Watertown, TN), Paulette King (Watertown, TN), Chartise Vantrease (Watertown, TN), Joyce Frazier (Dallas, TX), Debra McClain (Murfreesboro, TN), Talona Humbert (Atlanta, GA), Rita Bates (Murfreesboro, TN) and Family Staffing Solutions, as well as her church families at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist and Dowell Chapel United Methodist churches. Stella was preceded in death by her loving husband of 43 years, "Billy" Chavis; sisters: Lois (Smith) Lawrence, Corinne (Smith) Muirhead and Dorothy Jean Smith; brothers Odell Smith and Leon Smith; foster sister Darlene (Harris) Roy and foster brother Ben Harris. __________________________________________________ The family gladly accepts flowers. THE STELLA CHAVIS MEMORIAL FUND has been set up through Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Watertown, Tennessee. Please make all contributions payable to: Mt. Zion Baptist Church. MAIL TO: MT. ZION BAPTIST CHURCH Stella Chavis Memorial Fund c/o 120 Edna Grooms Lane Watertown Tennessee 37184 BRING TO: NEUBLE MONUMENT FUNERAL HOME LLC Stella Chavis Memorial Fund 1330 Bluebird Road Lebanon, Tennessee (615) 444-3117 Online Funeral Service Program