Jean Curtis
Jean Curtis, 87, of Breckenridge, Texas, passed away on January 11, 2026, in Breckenridge. Funeral services will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11 a.m. at One Church with Don Bearden officiating the service.
Jean Curtis was born June 2, 1938, in Barnes, Arkansas. She was the eighth of 11 children born to Joe and Very Woolsey. She moved to the Stamford area as a young child. She attended school in Paint Creek and Stamford, Texas.
She married Leon Curtis, and they had six wonderful children, Richard, Regina, Becky, Robby, Ryan, and Jay. During these years, Jean graduated from Cisco Junior College in 1970 with an associate degree. From there, she attended Hardin-Simmons University and graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
About two months later, Jay was born. She had the help of her own mother during these years, who made sure her family was well cared for. Jean often said, “If it weren’t for my sweet mom, I could not have done it.” She stayed home with her children for a few more years, then in 1976, she began teaching at North Elementary in Breckenridge, Texas, where she spent 27 years. She was proud of the fact that her tenure was all at North. She retired in 2002, for a short while, then she went back to her love of teaching children. And she worked again until her final retirement in 2015.
Teaching school was not her only love. She taught about the Lord, salvation, and set the example for her family to follow. She worked many summers at vacation Bible school, where she would travel in the summer with the youth and cook their meals. She enjoyed going to Christ for the Nations in the summertime.
She was active in the county correctional facility, teaching the Bible to the ladies there, and she taught GED classes locally and at the Walker Sayle unit. She spoke to people about salvation, no matter where she was or the situation. She could not pass an opportunity to help someone know Christ. For many years, she was active in a summer reading program, where she and other retired teachers read to children in the community.
Another love was cooking. We don’t know where to begin with the subject. One of her grandsons wrote about her in an assignment. He wrote, “The most amazing person in the world is my grandmother. She is the only person I know that can hold a baby, have another one on her leg, and still prepare an amazing meal.” She often cooked for her friends at school, at church, and for her many loved ones. You never knew when Jean would show up with her laundry basket full of casseroles, homemade bread, and a cake from scratch. Cooking and teaching seemed to be her recipe for life.
Our mother went to be with our Lord on Sunday (the Lord’s day), January 11, 2026. Her ultimate goal was Heaven. We are so thankful she was our mother, grandmother, and aunt.
She was predeceased by her husband Leon; her parents; and her sons Richard and Jay; and her siblings Violet, Josephine, Wanda, Bill, James, Gerald, Robert, Mary, and Ginger. She is also preceded in death by several nieces and nephews, and grandchildren, Curtis, and Heide.
She is survived by her children, Regina, Becky (husband Robert), Robby, and Ryan; grandchildren, James, Jeannie, Chris, Jed, Jeremiah, Lacey, Kevin, Robyn, Courtney, Bailee, Revin, Parker, Pressley, Madison, Ethan, Gemma, and Rylan. She has 21 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandsons, and one great-great-granddaughter. She also has a sister, Diana Richards of Colorado, and many nieces and nephews she dearly loved. Jean is also survived by Alice Curtis.
Pallbearers will be grandsons and great-grandsons: Kevin, Ethan, Jackson, Parker, Jace, Connor, and close family friend Brad Sims. Honorary pallbearers will be family members Jed, Revin, Stephan Jed and Karson.
The family would like to extend our appreciation to One Church and the church family, Carla Briscoe Hill, Villa Haven Nursing Center and Rehab, Solaris Hospice, Don and Doris Bearden, and Melton Kitchens Funeral Home for their kind and compassionate care.
The family wishes that if donations are made in her honor, they be made to Villa Haven activities fund, One Church benevolence fund, and may be left at the funeral home or given directly to the facilities. Condolences can be left at meltonkitchens.com.
“Stand fast in the faith, be brave and strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13-14.
“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage” Galatians 5:1
