Laurel Elaine Jones Childs, 51, Our Sunshine, a beloved mother, wife, and teacher went to be with her Father in Heaven on Sunday afternoon, December 6th, 2009. Laurel was born and raised in Tiptonville, TN to parents Cara Williams Jones and the late Richard S. Jones. She sang and danced at Libertyland (where she met her husband, Steve) and toured for the Department of Defense in Greenland and Germany. Laurel graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin in 1981 with a degree in Home Economics/Early Childhood Education, and received her Master of Arts in Education from Cumberland University in 2001. A beloved teacher, Laurel taught for 27 years: Dyess Elementary, Gardenview Elementary, Presbyterian Day School, and Evangelical Christian School. She adored teaching all of God's little children. She led eight trips around the world with People2People Student Ambassadors, and loved her students and traveling the globe. With an award-winning gift for writing, she was a regular columnist with the Lake County Banner and occasional contributor to the Commercial Appeal. She also wrote an online journal that chronicled her valiant battle with ovarian cancer. Her greatest joys in life were her children, Catherine and Casey, and her family; husband Steve, sisters Nancy Jones Blake and Sharon Jones Hutchison, brother Evan Jones, mother Cara Jones, nephews Evan Swift and Jeremy Jones, niece Katie Jones, parents-in-law Danny and Pat Childs, grandmother-in-law Mary Crawford. She loved her friends, enjoyed life, and spread laughter and happiness to all who knew her. She longed to be like the sunshine for all her loved ones, and that is exactly what she was-our sunshine, helping us to feel warm, happy, and loved beyond belief. Laurel loved Jesus and her Heavenly Father and was looking forward to joining them in Heaven. She wants everyone to experience the love she shared with Jesus, and to join her in His Kingdom, where the dancing has now begun. Visitation will be held 6-9 p.m. Thursday, December 10, 2009 at Germantown United Methodist Church, located at 2331 South Germantown Rd. Germantown, TN. The funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday December 11 also at Germantown United Methodist Church. Interment will be (in Memorial Park Cemetery). The family requests that memorials be sent to either the Germantown United Methodist Church Missions Fund or the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Memorial Park Funeral Home (Published in The Commercial Appeal on December 8, 2009)