Jo Dean (Smith) Chapman

Jo Dean Smith Chapman, died Friday, February 24, 2023, in Abilene.

Family and friends are invited to a funeral service celebrating her life at 10:00 a.m. Monday, February 27, 2023, in Stevens Funeral Home Chapel, with Seth Moore, pastor of the Hords Creek Cowboy Church, officiating.  Private interment will follow in the Coleman City Cemetery.  Services are entrusted to Stevens Funeral Home, 400 W. Pecan Street, Coleman, Texas.

Jo Dean Smith Chapman was born in 1938, in the little rock house, on the curve, at the base of the Santa Anna Mountain. Her maternal grandparents, Frank and Irene Trull lived there.  Her parents were James Cecil and Myrtle Jo Trull Smith.  Except for short stays in Miles, Texas, when she was 3 years old, Brownwood before starting school, while her Dad worked at Camp Bowie before going into the Army, Scott City, Kansas when about 11 years old through the summer, Odessa when 16 years old for a few months and Abilene for a short time when she was 17, the rest of her life was spent in Coleman County.  She married James Bailey Whittington in 1955 in Abilene.  They had one son, Paul Whittington, of Novice and Glen Cove. Jo Dean lived in the Glen Cove community until 1982 when she moved to Coleman.

In 1983 she and Corky (A. G.)  Chapman were married in Oklahoma. Corky also brought three minor children to their marriage, Michael, Shana, and Shelly.  Corky died suddenly in 2003 just after their 20th anniversary.  Jo Dean has continued an interest in farming and ranching.  The joy of her life was to see her son and his two sons start working with her, on their great and great-granddad’s home place, family owned since 1904.  In 1983, she began working in the Coleman County District Clerk’s office, as Deputy Clerk. In 1996 she was appointed District Clerk,  a job she held through elections from 1996 until she retired in 2010.

She is survived by her son, Paul and daughter-in-law, Angela Whittington of Novice; grandchildren, Heather and Brian Langford, Brandon and Jessica Whittington and James and Megan Whittington; great-grandchildren, Nathan, Shane and Caleb Able, Natalie, Brian, Jeffrey Langford, Jr., Ethan, Cameron and Jordyn Teague, Kaylei, Payton and Paisley Whittington; brother, Jerry Lee Smith and wife Sandra of Schulenburg; sister-in-law, Peggy Smith of Coleman; step-son, Michael, step-daughters, Shana and Shelly and their children; numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, brother James Wilburn Smith, sister Patricia Ann Smith Kinsey, grandparents, Will and Annie Barefoot Smith and Frank and Irene Ramsey Trull, brothers and sisters-in-law, Dorman and Mary Chapman and Jack and Hazel Chapman.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity to help wipe out diabetes, cancer, heart disease, children’s diseases, etc.

Remembrances and condolences can be written to the family via the virtual guestbook on Jo’s tribute page at www.stevensfuneralhome.com.  Stevens Funeral Home is honored to serve the Chapman family.