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Juanita Wells Spencer, age 97 of Monticello, AR, went to be with her Lord and Savior Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Bowman Road Hospice in Little Rock, AR. She was born February 20, 1928, in Monticello, AR to the late Nathaniel Wells and Ola Mae Dangerfield Wells.
Juanita enjoyed working and began her career at the local cleaners in Monticello, where she cleaned and pressed clothes. Years later, Juanita began employment with Arvin Industries as an assembly line operator and worked there several years before suffering an injury. In her later years, she worked as a caregiver for several families in the Drew County Community. She was a member of Morning of Star Missionary Baptist Church where she loved Sunday School and enjoyed assisting the Finance Committee with raising money for special events. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, six brothers, two sisters, one daughter, Barbara Gary and one son, Ulas Sanders.
Juanita was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who loved caring for her family, as well as others in the community. She was affectionally called “Ms. Kitty,” by family and friends. Every year Juanita enjoyed planting flowers and nourishing her flower bed of Pansies and Azaleas bushes. She was a good cook and enjoyed cooking for family and friends. She enjoyed fishing and coming home to immediately clean, cook and eat her catfish, crappies, perch or buffalo fish.
Juanita leaves to celebrate her life and cherish her memories, two daughters, Reola Boyd (William) of St. Louis, MO, Linda Nimmer of Little Rock, AR; daughter-in-law Betty Sanders of St. Louis MO; three brothers, Williard Smith of Los Angeles, CA, Winfort Wells of Compton, CA and Dwight (Joyce) Wells of Monticello, AR; three sisters, Jessie Mae Williams and Stella Gray of Monticello, AR, Elizabeth (James) Ingram of Hot Springs, AR; three granddaughters, Vicky (David) Williamson of Chula Vista, CA, Natally (David) Griffin of Colorado Springs, CO, Jocelyn Sanders of Los Angeles, CA; two grandsons, John (Shelley) McClanahan and Gregory (Jenna) Sanders of St. Louis, MO; 13 great-grandchildren, 23 great-great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews and dear friends; Juanita’s special cousins Welton (Doris) Green, special nieces Sherrie Gillespie and Elizabeth “Fayre” Harrison, special nephew Kenneth Rogers, pew partner Melanie Rawls, special family friends Karen and Wanda Bealer, Becky Daniels, Evelyn Ridgell, Cheryl Scott, Terry Gragg, Jacqueline Thompson and Family, Kenneth Lamb and the Lamb family; Juanita’s special caregivers, her daughter Linda Nimmer, great grandchildren Terrez Grider and Tierra Harris; great granddaughter-in-love Candice Armstrong; and friends Sylvia Murdock and Melanie Rawls.
Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. D.J. Buffington officiating. There will be a Wake Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in Brooks Chapel Cemetery. You can sign Mrs. Juanita’s guestbook registry here on her page.
Juanita enjoyed working and began her career at the local cleaners in Monticello, where she cleaned and pressed clothes. Years later, Juanita began employment with Arvin Industries as an assembly line operator and worked there several years before suffering an injury. In her later years, she worked as a caregiver for several families in the Drew County Community. She was a member of Morning of Star Missionary Baptist Church where she loved Sunday School and enjoyed assisting the Finance Committee with raising money for special events. She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, six brothers, two sisters, one daughter, Barbara Gary and one son, Ulas Sanders.
Juanita was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who loved caring for her family, as well as others in the community. She was affectionally called “Ms. Kitty,” by family and friends. Every year Juanita enjoyed planting flowers and nourishing her flower bed of Pansies and Azaleas bushes. She was a good cook and enjoyed cooking for family and friends. She enjoyed fishing and coming home to immediately clean, cook and eat her catfish, crappies, perch or buffalo fish.
Juanita leaves to celebrate her life and cherish her memories, two daughters, Reola Boyd (William) of St. Louis, MO, Linda Nimmer of Little Rock, AR; daughter-in-law Betty Sanders of St. Louis MO; three brothers, Williard Smith of Los Angeles, CA, Winfort Wells of Compton, CA and Dwight (Joyce) Wells of Monticello, AR; three sisters, Jessie Mae Williams and Stella Gray of Monticello, AR, Elizabeth (James) Ingram of Hot Springs, AR; three granddaughters, Vicky (David) Williamson of Chula Vista, CA, Natally (David) Griffin of Colorado Springs, CO, Jocelyn Sanders of Los Angeles, CA; two grandsons, John (Shelley) McClanahan and Gregory (Jenna) Sanders of St. Louis, MO; 13 great-grandchildren, 23 great-great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews and dear friends; Juanita’s special cousins Welton (Doris) Green, special nieces Sherrie Gillespie and Elizabeth “Fayre” Harrison, special nephew Kenneth Rogers, pew partner Melanie Rawls, special family friends Karen and Wanda Bealer, Becky Daniels, Evelyn Ridgell, Cheryl Scott, Terry Gragg, Jacqueline Thompson and Family, Kenneth Lamb and the Lamb family; Juanita’s special caregivers, her daughter Linda Nimmer, great grandchildren Terrez Grider and Tierra Harris; great granddaughter-in-love Candice Armstrong; and friends Sylvia Murdock and Melanie Rawls.
Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 21, 2026, at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church with Rev. D.J. Buffington officiating. There will be a Wake Friday evening from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Chapel. Burial will be in Brooks Chapel Cemetery. You can sign Mrs. Juanita’s guestbook registry here on her page.