Joretta Wood Hawkins of Paducah, Kentucky entered into the presence of the Lord on June 16, 2026, at age 94.
Joretta was born to James Josiah and Laura Pauline Wood on September 3, 1931, in Marshall County, Kentucky. Upon the death of her mother when she was age 11, Joretta was raised by grandparents, Earl and Grace Carper who were her mother’s parents. As a young girl, Joretta became a Christian through the influence of her grandparents while attending Arcadia Methodist Church. This decision would set the course for a life dedicated to the mission of serving Christ Jesus.
Joretta married Glenn Hawkins on July 6, 1952, and went on to have three children, Glenna, Laurel, and Spencer. Their marriage of love and devotion would last over 73 years. Soon after they married, Joretta would join her husband as a member of Oaklawn Baptist Church.
In addition to being a dedicated wife and mother, Joretta served in many leadership roles at Oaklawn. A particular passion was investing in the spiritual lives of junior-high and high school kids. A highlight of this ministry was serving as a summer youth director for several years. Joretta would journal, “What a blessing it was to be a tiny part of those young people’s lives and to hear from some of them occasionally.” In her later years she enjoyed volunteering in the Western Baptist Hospital Auxiliary, always seeking opportunities to help people.
The primary ministry to which Joretta devoted most of her time was the Baptist Women’s Missionary Society known as the WMU. Her heart was truly in the mission of spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ to a world lost without Him. One of Joretta’s favorite Bible passages was Matthew 9:37-38, Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Throughout her entire life, Joretta held an unwavering faith in God, which she shared with those who surrounded her. Joshua 24:15, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
She is survived by her husband Glenn Hawkins; children Glenna Harper, Laurel Riley (James), and Spencer Hawkins (Melissa); grandchildren Justin Vessels (Jill), Kendra Barrett (Jeremiah), Ian Hardison (Danielle), Courtney Shuster (Taylor), Nathan Hawkins (Audrey) and Abigail Schwarz (Brent); 8 great-grandchildren; her brother Carl Ray Wood; many nieces and nephews; and in-laws.
In addition to her parents and grandparents, Joretta was preceded in death by her stepmother Ruth Wood, stepbrother Darwin Ray, and stepsister Joann Wilson.
A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah, with Rev. Tommy Williams officiating. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until the service hour of 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Oaklawn Baptist Church, 500 Oaks Rd, P.O. Box 3087, Paducah, KY 42003.
And finally, the family would like to genuinely thank the staff at Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, especially the wonderful nurses in the rehabilitation wing. Your care for Joretta over the last four months was nothing short of amazing. In her own words, “You are precious!”
