Jane attended Memphis Central High School and Mid-South Beauty School. She spent her professional years as a hair stylist, making other people beautiful and helping them to feel good about themselves inside and out.
Jane raised one well-loved and well-fed son, Rev. Larry M. Chitwood. Her son gave her great joy and great consternation throughout her life. They laughed and cried through good times and bad and were as much best friends as they were mother and son. Rev. Chitwood called his mother “Jane” from the time that he learned to talk and only called her “Momma” when he was in trouble.
Jane loved to laugh, she loved to travel, Jane loved family, and she loved to love. It is only fitting that Jane was surrounded by love, family, and friends at the time of her death. In all things and in every way, Jane loved God and put all her trust and faith in Jesus Christ for guidance in this life and hope for life eternal.
Jane was preceded in death by her parents, Melvin P. Payne Sr. and Blanche Maxwell Payne, by her brother Melvin P. “Pete” Payne Jr., and by her husband James E. Threlkeld.
Jane is survived by her beloved and faithful watchdog Fred, her son and daughter-in -law, Rev. Larry M. & Lisa Chitwood and their family Rachel and Dr. Andrew Reed along with their sons J.T. and Jake Reed, her brothers Jim Payne (Sue) and Ben Payne (KeKe), her sister-in-law Peggy Payne, and her dearest and best friend “for a hundred years” Cheryl Massa. Jane is also survived by and was blessed by loving nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews, and great-grand nieces and nephews whom she loved to spoil and keep up with. She is survived as well by her stepsons John Threlkeld (Karen) and Jim Threlkeld (Suzanne) along with their families.
Jane was a member of Union Avenue Baptist Church.
Visitation with family and friends will be Tuesday, March 29, 2022, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at Memphis Funeral Home on Poplar Ave. and Wednesday March 30, 2022, from 12:30 - 1:45 at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8255 Winchester, Memphis, Tennessee with Funeral Services to follow at 2:00 pm. Burial will be at Memphis Memory Gardens on Raleigh LaGrange in Memphis, Tennessee.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made either to the Wesley Foundation at the University of Memphis or to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MemphisFuneralPoplar.com for the Threlkeld family.
