Juanita (Jones) Hatten

    Juanita Jones Hatten passed into Glory on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Grady Jones and Martha Douglas Jones, and her brother Wayne Jones. She is twice widowed, by her first husband, Earnest Burford, and her second husband, William Hatten Sr. She is survived by her sister, Dorothy Inez Brannan. She is also survived by her three children, Alan Burford, Melissa Burford Caton (Doug Caton), and William Hatten Jr (Lanny Gross), six grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. Her legacy also lives on as a bougainvillea cultivar, known worldwide by her own name - the Juanita Hatten. 

    Juanita was born on January 9, 1946, in Mobile, Alabama. She developed an early passion for service to her community. She dedicated decades to teaching Sunday School in her church and retired from the United States Postal Service, where she worked as a rural route mail carrier. She was a Godly woman who lived by example and spread warmth and laughter wherever she went. To know Juanita was to love her, and to love her meant a full belly, a warmed heart, and a supportive shoulder. She will be deeply missed by her friends and family until we are reunited in Heaven. 

    A visitation will be held on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Valhalla Memorial Funeral Home from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by a chapel service at 12:00 p.m. Interment will take place at Valhalla Memorial Gardens.