Ollie Jean Winstead Lane, 94, of Burns, MS, passed away on November 6, 2025, at the Bee Hive in Forest, MS. Her family members were by her side. Ollie Jean felt passionately about donating her body for Medical Research; thus, a Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, at Burns Community Church, located across from Burns Baptist Church off of Hwy 481.
Ollie Jean was born on February 2, 1931, the only child of Clifton Butel Winstead and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Tally Winstead. Growing up, she was a member of Burns United Methodist Church, where her mother played the piano. With no siblings to help, she worked hard alongside her father in the fields, then tended house and cooked inside with her mother. She graduated from Burns High School in 1949 and married Robert Norman “Jim” Lane of Lorena, MS, on August 17, 1949. While attending college at USM in Hattiesburg, MS, she gave birth to their two children, Bettie and Robert.
After graduation from USM in January of 1953, Ollie Jean accepted her first employment with the MS Cooperation Extension Service as Home Economist for Yazoo County, MS. She worked there for 34 years, retiring at age 55. Ollie Jean received State and National recognition for her teaching skills and was even recognized as a Yazoo County Woman of the Year. She was an active member of the First Methodist Church in Yazoo City, MS.
In 1996, her husband, Jim, died after a long battle with cancer. Soon, Ollie Jean became the “Matriarch” of her family. She was very supportive and developed a unique relationship with each of her grandchildren, and was able to enjoy five generations! She was an excellent cook and an avid gardener with both ornamental flowers and vegetables. She loved to travel and often took her grandchildren on overnight and out-of-state trips to broaden their horizons. Beginning at retirement, quilting became Ollie’s focus, a hobby enjoyed by all her family. Ollie Jean became an accomplished quilter. Many of her pieces were entered and won in local, American, and International Quilt Shows. She assisted with the formation of the Mississippi Quilters Association and the publishing of a book, Mississippi Quilts. Her quilts were featured in numerous magazines and books in her later years.
In 2002, Ollie Jean moved to Hattiesburg to help her granddaughter, Bonnie, attend college while dealing with health problems. She became Bonnie’s primary caregiver, forever solidifying their special relationship. Although 50 years in age difference between them, according to Bonnie, Ollie was the best roommate she ever had! They enjoyed one another and overnight stays with Nicolas, Laura, Austin, Abigail, and Daniel.
While in Hattiesburg, she became an active member of the Pine Belt Quilters and Parkway Heights UMC. She faced many health challenges of her own; Ollie Jean was a breast cancer survivor. In 2020, Ollie Jean moved back to Smith County to be closer to family. While there, she resided at the Bee Hive assisted living home in Forest, MS. There, She enjoyed frequent visits from her great-grandson, Lane Westbrook. She also continued to enjoy custom quilting, even until days before her passing!
To know Ollie Jean was to love her. A natural-born leader and teacher, she was patient and loving, and gave the biggest hugs. She definitely had a servant’s heart. She selflessly dedicated her love and her time to her family and friends. She always had a smile on her face, so much that the nurses called her “Sunshine.” Her philosophy of how we should live was to be honest, work hard, and apply Christian principles.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Clifton Butel Winstead and Elizabeth “Lizzie” Tally Winstead; and her husband, Robert Norman “Jim” Lane. She is survived by her daughter, Bettie Jean Lane Pharr of Brandon, MS; her son, Robert Clifton Lane (Leslie) of Lorena, MS; her granddaughters, Teri Norwood Kruse of Las Vegas, NV; Michelle Callahan Johnson of Ridgeland, MS; and Bonnie Lane Westbrook (Michael) of Burns, MS; her grandsons, Clifton Pittman Lane (Heather) of Burns, MS; and Jonas Payne, of Lorena, MS; and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. In addition, she leaves behind many extended family members.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any charitable donations in remembrance of Ollie Jean’s life be made to: Homes of Hope; 344 Harold Tucker Rd., Purvis, MS 39475; 769-456-7021, https://www.hohfc.org.
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