Frances "JuJu" Simpson Adams passed away peacefully in her sleep on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014. She died, at the age of 94, following a full, blessed life of love and compassion for her family and friends. Funeral services for JuJu will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12, 2014, at Christ Episcopal Church in Nacogdoches with the Rev. Howard Castleberry officiating. A reception will follow in the Parish Hall. A private burial will be at Oak Grove Cemetery. JuJu was born on Dec. 13, 1919, in Nacogdoches to Frank Ford and Thelma March Simpson. As a child, she lived with her parents and brother in Trinity, Texas, and Dallas, Texas, before moving back to Nacogdoches. As a child, she enjoyed spending time with her grandparents, Victor Ernest and Fannie Simpson, on their farm at Oak Ridge, five miles east of Nacogdoches. She had many fond memories of her family and the farm, telling of one adventure in the mid 1920s in which she flew in a biplane, taking off and landing from the Carrizo Creek bottomland on the farm. In the late 1920s, she also enjoyed attending Camp Mystic for Girls where her aunt was directress. JuJu attended the Stephen F. Austin Demonstration School and Nacogdoches High School, where she graduated as valedictorian in 1937. After graduation from high school, at the age of 17, she sailed for six weeks to the Philippines, stopping in China, Japan and other countries in between. She was joining her aunt and uncle, Drs. Keith and Linda Simpson, who were stationed there with the U.S. Army. After returning to the U.S. in 1938, she entered the University of Texas in Austin. While at UT, she joined Zeta Tau Alpha Social Sorority, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and was selected to be a member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. After graduation from UT, with the country at war, JuJu moved to San Antonio and went to work for the United States government. She checked and censored written communications while coming in and going out of the country. At the end of World War II, JuJu returned to Nacogdoches where she taught English at Nacogdoches High School for a short time before going to work at Texas Power and Light, where her father was manager. Her family also owned Swift Brothers and Smith Drugstore and she spent time there, helping in the soda fountain or in the gift shop. On May 21, 1952, she and Sidney Moss Adams Jr. were married at Christ Episcopal Church by the Rev. Scott Field Bailey. The reception was held at the Simpson home on the hill on Virginia Avenue. JuJu was a member of Christ Episcopal Church for over 75 years, participating in the George Crocket Guild and the Alter Guild into her late 80s - only retiring when she no longer had the strength to perform the duties inside the church. She was a lifetime member of the Nacogdoches High School Alumnae Association, Past President of Rotary Ann's and a lifetime member for Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority Alumnae. JuJu had a strong love of music and was a member of the Friends of Music at SFA. She and Moss were dedicated lifetime supporters of all events at SFA. JuJu and Moss both grew up in Nacogdoches and had a deep love for the city, Christ Episcopal Church, their family and their large circle of friends - some of whom shared the bond of going through WWII together and remained friends their entire lives. With this special circle of friends, they shared summer vacations, annual Christmas parties, Sunday night "supper group" and traveled the world to snow ski and explore different countries and continents for over 50 years. JuJu loved her grandchildren, Lee, Kate and Sam, and would not miss the many dance and piano recitals, track meets, BMX bike races, baseball games, soccer games and spring shows to watch her grandchildren play and perform. She especially loved attending their high school and college graduations. She was very committed to education. In her leisure time, she worked crossword puzzles, word scrambles and was an avid reader. She loved cooking for her family, friends and neighbors, year round and at holidays. Her favorites to cook for were her grandchildren. JuJu is preceded in death by her husband, Sidney Moss Adams Jr.; her parents, F. Ford and Thelma Simpson; a brother, F. Ford Simpson Jr.; and a nephew, F. Ford Simpson III. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Frances and David Shofner of Nacogdoches; her grandchildren, Lee Adams Shofner and wife, Kathryn, of Nacogdoches, Kate Shofner Marks and husband, Brendon, of Dallas, and Samuel David Shofner of Nacogdoches; and great-granddaughters, Leighton Shofner and Everlee Shofner. She is also survived by a niece, Jennifer Simpson; and great-niece, Courtney Chaplin. Many thanks go to members of Christ Episcopal Church, especially Wanda Cuniff, Norma Fleming and Mary Ann Keller who spent precious time ministering to JuJu when she became homebound and no longer able to attend church. Special thank you goes to friends Tammy Jarrell, Stacey Mims, Neisha Dennis, Ronda Cruz and Sabrina Pugh. Honorary pallbearers are John Mast, Travis Mast, Bud Wright, George Clark, Mark Clark, John Kingham, Steve Muckleroy, Ed Benchoff and Tom Belanger.
Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors.
Published in The Daily Sentinel on Dec. 11, 2014