Shirley Stephens

Shirley Stephens, 77, of Ellijay, Georgia, passed away March 30, 2019. Formerly of Altoona, Florida, Shirley relocated to Georgia to be closer to her daughter. Shirley was born on January 10, 1942 to Joseph Junior and Margaret Delcina (Snyder) Trexler in Peru, Indiana. She was the first born in the family of seven children. Her father’s Navy career required the family to relocate frequently during her childhood. While living in Brunswick, Georgia, she met and married her husband and love of her life, Lynch Stephens, Jr. (Junior). She dedicated her life to her husband and partnered with him in his construction business. They worked side-by-side to make the business a success and to raise their three children. Shirley loved to travel and with her husband visited and lived in many places throughout the United States. She loved to talk and reminiscence about their time in a remote area of Alaska where they actually ran the power plant. Shirley was an avid gardener and had quite the reputation for having a green thumb. She also enjoyed embroidering gifts for her children and grandchildren. She was never too busy to talk with her grandchildren and looked forward to the many phone calls she would receive from them on a daily basis. She is preceded in death by her parents Joseph Junior and Margaret Delcina (Synder) Trexler, her husband of 49 years, Lynch Stephens, Jr., sisters, Sherry Kay Trexler and Vicki Lynn Pizzino. Her memory will be forever cherished by her children and her family: daughter, Pamela Stephens Holland (Georgia), son, Joseph Stephens (North Carolina), and daughter, Margaret Stephens Nixon (Idaho), sister Delcina Holmes (Florida) brothers Joe Trexler (Illinois), Steve Trexler (Tennessee) and Terry Trexler (Illinois), daughter-in-law, Christina Stephens, sons-in-law, John Nixon and Danny Smalley, 17 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. A memorial service celebrating Shirley’s life, for the immediate family, will be held at a date yet to be determined.