Jonnie Edwards Stoutamire

Jonnie Edwards Stoutamire, born June 23, 1927, to Stoney and Willie Edwards in the Sawdust community, passed away on April 7, 2026, after a long and full life rooted in family, faith, and community.

She was the daughter of a cattleman and grew up during the Great Depression, when resources were limited. She made up for those shortages later in life with a wardrobe full of colorful, bedazzled blouses and a well-stocked collection of shoes.

She graduated from Quincy High School in 1945 and attended Florida State College for Women from 1946 to 1947 during its transition to Florida State University. While she did not remain at FSU, she was the first of three generations of women in her family to attend the institution.

She attended Lively Vocational Technical School, where she earned her certificate as a secretary and began working at Budd’s Cigar Company. Not long after, she met the love of her life, Pete, an Army veteran who had returned from the Pacific Theater at the end of World War II. They married on April 24, 1949.

They began their life together running a fish camp at the bridge on the Ochlockonee River before building a home in Bloxham, where their children, Steve and Charlotte, were born. In 1958, they moved back to Sawdust, settling near her parents.

Jonnie devoted her early years to raising her children before returning to the workforce at the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, where she remained until retirement.

At home, she ran a steady kitchen. She was known for her cooking, particularly her paper-thin lace cornbread, fried chicken, and pot roast. She baked a pound cake each week and kept cookies and brownies in steady rotation. On weekends, there was always a big lunch ready when Pete came in from the tractor or the garden. Evenings were quieter, often spent ironing next to Pete’s recliner while watching Lawrence Welk and Wheel of Fortune.

She enjoyed quiet time at the family lakehouse on Lake Talquin. While she was not a hunter, she was very much part of that world, serving as matriarch of the Soapstone Hunting Club, where her father was a founding member, Pete later served as president, and her children were also members. Among the membership, she was simply known as Ms. Jonnie.

She was a longtime member of Woodland Presbyterian Church in Sawdust, where Pete served as an elder. They were both active in the life of the church and served together as treasurers for several years. She was also known for her steady hospitality and the way she welcomed others.

Generosity and caregiving were among her defining traits. She cared for both of her parents through their final years and remained closely connected to her family. She loved keeping her granddaughters, who gave her the name “Mamaw,” a name that soon extended beyond them. They remember Saturday morning cartoons, games of “bat and ball,” and having free rein of her closet, where her fanciest nightgowns were regularly repurposed as formal wear.

Jonnie and Pete were married for 50 years before his passing in 1999. In the years that followed, she took up dancing and kept a full dance card. She spent many nights at the American Legion Hall in Tallahassee and other local spots, often dancing the Tennessee Waltz with a steady group of familiar dance partners. She also enjoyed trips to Biloxi, where she loved playing the slot machines and took regular girls’ trips with friends.

She enjoyed conversation and always seemed to have someone stopping by, whether in the Sawdust community or later at Mulligan Park, where visitors came for advice, conversation, and her company.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Pete, and her son Steve.

She is survived by her daughter Charlotte Pickels (Alvan); daughter-in-law Nancy (wife of Steve); granddaughters Ashlee Weber (Clint) and Courtney Stoutamire-Moynihan (Dan), Heidi Logue (Michael), and Patti Hyre (Mark); seven great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and Gail Gholson, who was like a daughter to her, along with an extended network of family and friends.

The family would like to thank her caregivers, Gail Gholson; “Nurse Mary” and Zorro; Tomeka Mitchell, Chasity Powell, and Terri Burt; as well as the staff at Mulligan Park, her physicians, and Big Bend Hospice for their care and support.

Services will be held at Woodland Presbyterian Church in Gretna, Florida, on April 24, with visitation at 10:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall, followed by the service at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Big Bend Hospice or Woodland Presbyterian Church.