Marguerite Jeanette McDaniels

   Marguerite Jeanette (Rowland) McDaniels, 83, Nolansburg, Ky. slipped beautifully into the majestic realm of her much anticipated Heavenly eternity on March 3, 2025, with her two daughters, Theressa and Jennifer, by her side. It was a trio of strong women, who have stood closely together in the ebb and flow of time - through the tough, tender, and triumphant - that ushered Jeanette into the almighty presence of God. With her daughters by her side, she finished her race on this Earth with dignity and strength, and in meekness and love. 

   In her last weeks at Corbin Baptist Health Hospital, her unwavering Christian testimony was still in gleaming display and touched the lives of those who were fortunate enough to become acquainted with her as they cared for her during the days leading up to her passing. That sweet spirit for which she was known touched many lives through the generations. Her testimony and legacy of servitude goes far back, impacting many lives through her benevolence and by being a Sunday School teacher for decades at Totz Baptist Church and at Putney Bible Church. Jeanette was also known for being a very knowledgeable bookkeeper, having worked for several businesses in Harlan, Ky. She was known for her love for baking and was a popular stop for many at the annual Kingdom Come Swappin' Meetin' and Pine Mountain Fair Day in years past as she and her mother, Roxie, sold an untold number of baked goods, candy, jams and jellies. Her joy of doing for others drew hundreds to her and appropriately earned her the beloved nickname "Mama J." It was her smile, many say, that they will remember most. Jeanette had a burden for the homeless and would often seek out a stranger in distress to help. 

   Born on June 15, 1941, Jeanette was a lifelong resident of Harlan County and lived most of her life in Nolansburg, Ky. She often found it humorous, but would proudly proclaim she was born in "Dogpatch," an old, former coal mining camp near Evarts, Ky. Jeanette also took pride in attending grade school at a one-room school house in Nolansburg. She was a graduate of Cumberland High School and attended the University of The Cumberlands with a major in business. She worked at Cumberland Valley Music and the Kentucky Business School in Harlan before becoming a contracted bookkeeper for a multitude of local businesses. She retired from Carroll Engineering Inc. after 40 years of service. 

   In her retirement, Jeanette continued to work part time for Carroll Engineering, serve as church treasurer for Putney Bible Church, do plenty of baking, and was always eager to ride "shotgun" for a drive into the mountains to enjoy the scenery of her Appalachian home and to do a little bit of "bear watching." She had a particular affinity for Kingdom Come State Park and the people she met there who became lifelong friends. Jeanette loved to play old hymns on the piano as well as the accordion, work Bible-themed crossword puzzles "to keep her mind sharp" and "her heart fixed on scripture," and she enjoyed collecting lighthouses because they reminded her of God's light and presence in the midst of the storm. In her youth, her most enjoyable years were attending Camp Nathaniel, which has since become known as a "Light Into The Hills," and she always made sure to support their ministry and mountain missionaries through the years. Jeanette was known as a caretaker, having cared for past mountain missionaries and her own family, sacrificing her own time and health for the well-being of others. Jeanette was most proud of being a mother, and she often exclaimed her greatest treasures in life were her two daughters. She was a longtime member of Putney Bible Church. 

   Jeanette was preceded in death by her mother, Roxie Rowland; her father, William "Bill" Rowland; her husband, Sterling McDaniels; her brother, Jerry Rowland, Sr.; her nephew, William "Buster" Rowland; and her best friend of several decades, Marie Lewis. 

   Survivors include her two daughters, Theressa Rose and husband, Darius, Smithfield, N.C.; Jennifer McDaniels and fiancé, Justin Decker, of Nolansburg; step-grandchildren, Angelique Rose and wife, Beverly O'Brian, of Willow Springs, N.C.; and Darius Rose II and fiancé, Rebekah Ambrose, of Selma, N.C.; her nephew, Jerry Rowland Jr. and wife, Margaret, of Louisville, Tenn.: her three great-nieces: Alicia Spivey and family, of Jefferson City, Tenn.; Heather Nyugen and family, of Temple, Ga.; and Olivia Rowland and family, of Gainesville, Ga.; her faithful, furry dog companion, Michelangelo "Micky" McDaniels, special friends Judith Victoria Hensley and Sandy Mabelitini; her nurse in her final days, Lena Thomas; her two, loving church families at Putney Bible Church and Harlan Mission Outreach; and a host of extended family and friends. 

   Visitation will be held Thursday, March 6, at Putney Bible Church at Laden from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A program of remembrance will be held at the church starting at 7 p.m. Leading the program will be The Revs. Britt Lawson, Robert Amundsen, Sean Daniels and Jason Caudill as well as Harold Middleton and Terry Harris. A Celebration of Life program is being planned by the family for later in June. 

   Graveside services will be held on 11:00 am, Friday, March 7, at the Lewis Cemetery in Laden with The Rev. Robert Amundsen providing the eulogy and prayer. Pallbearers will be Mark Lawson, Joel McIntyre, William Cornett, Ronnie Wilder, Chris Early, and Danny Quillen. Honorary pallbearers are all her past Sunday School students at Putney Bible Church, mountain missionaries from Camp Nathaniel, the men of Carroll Engineering, Inc, Darius Rose II, Brandon Lewis, and Justin Decker. 

     Memorial opportunities to honor the life and legacy of Jeanette will be announced at June's Celebration Of Life program.

    Please feel free to leave a condolence or memory at www.aljfh.com

     Marguerite Jeanette McDaniels and her family are in the care of the Anderson-Laws & Jones Funeral Home.