Jenny Lucille (Terrell) Cornwell

Anyone who knew Mamaw Jenny knew her love of cooking and baking. She was always happy in the kitchen. We have so many fond memories of family celebrations where the highlight was mamaw’s dessert- cheesecake, red velvet cake, and least we forget her love of candy making?! She loved seeing other people enjoy her food as much as she enjoyed making it. Her legacy of cooking and baking is one that will live on as her children, grandchildren and one day, great grandchildren, enjoy the kitchen as much as she did — though we don’t know if any of us can make peanut brittle as well as she did!

A natural extension of her love of cooking and baking was entertaining. Mamaw knew how to throw a party or make an occasion special. Our fondest memories are Christmas and Halloween. She had the best Christmas decorations, being a consultant for the Christmas Around the World catalog. She had an amazing Christmas village display with an awesome skating rink, a singing, light up Rudolph, and much more! Man, Christmas was so magical! Because of her! She did Christmas big! We never knew how special the reading of The Night Before Christmas every Christmas Eve would be.
She hosted dress up parties for Halloween, in which all of Orleans and Paoli were there! They would have a pig in the ground and a music stage on a wagon with people like Sheriff Clarence Switzer performing his best rendition of Hank Williams Sr.
Her County extension homemakers club would also put on a great Halloween party at the 4H block building. Mamaw helped clip candy to toy fishing poles, or stationed the cake walk.

She was smart! We watched fun shows like Perfect Strangers and Andy Griffith, but how many people knew how she was the greatest Jeopardy home contestant on earth? She always had time to read. She subscribed to every magazine and gave us our love for People and the word puzzles in the magazine. She loved Alex Cross and John Grisham. She was always the Trivia Pursuit champion, gaining her pieces of the pie first, and did you ever experience playing cards with her? From Skipbo, Uno, or poker, she was a shark!

She was selfless. Her grandchildren were her priority. She was so impactful on all 5 of us, giving of her time so freely and often. She was the only person who had satellite television and Schwan’s Food delivery! She always had Vitamin C orange tablets on the microwave and orange deli “circle cheese” in her fridge. She didn’t miss our sporting events. She was our biggest supporter. In college, she called, she visited, she took us shopping or out to eat. We always knew she cared!

She was fun! She played croquet with us in the yard, she made freezer strawberry jam with us, she pierced ears, made homemade ice cream, jumped on trampolines, took us camping, took us fishing with cane polls and we dug our own worms, gave us home perms. Upon turning 21, she was happy to take you to Caesar’s for your first casino experience, as a right of passage.

As incredible as all these gifts were, Mamaw’s love for her husband, family, and friends were the core of who she was. She valued her calling of wife, mom, mother-in-law, sister, grandmother, and friend.

Jenny Lucille Terrell Cornwell, 82, passed away to her eternal resting place on April 18, 2020, surrounded by loved ones. She was born August 12, 1937 in Paoli to parents, Floyd and Essie Mae (Freed) Terrell. She married John Robert Cornwell on February 25, 1955.

She was a 1955 graduate of Paoli High School. Jenny was a member of Syria Christian Church, Orange County Homemakers Club, Orange County Democrats Party, and Orange County Cancer Society “Relay for Life”.

Jenny worked at Essex of Orleans, Indiana, Paoli Walmart, Sarah Coventry Jewelry, and Christmas Around the World consultant. She enjoyed gardening, traveling, and spending time with family.

Survivors include:

Spouse:

            John Robert Cornwell                                                                         Paoli, Indiana

Son:

            Kenny Cornwell                                                                                  Paoli, Indiana

Daughters:

            Kim (Danny) Rowland                                                                       Paoli, Indiana

            Karen Cornwell                                                                                  Paoli, Indiana

Grandchildren: Autumn (Chris) Archer, of Paoli, IN, Amanda (Andy) Cheatham, of Orleans, IN, Keiysha (Greg) Greenberg, of Louisville, KY, Brett (Amanda) Cornwell of San Antonio, TX, Kasey Cornwell of Indianapolis, IN

Great grandchildren: Shane, Leah, and Eliza Cheatham, all of Orleans, IN.

Siblings: Larry Terrell, of Paoli, IN, Tom (Theresa) Terrell of Salem, IN, Susan Deaton of Paoli, IN.

She is proceeded in death by her parents,
siblings: Floyd “Peck” Terrell, Connie Terrell, and LuAnn Austin.

A special thanks to her caregiver, Jerry Hendricks

Services for Jenny L Cornwell will be private due to orders placed by Gov. Eric Holcomb. Burial will be in Stampers Creek Cemetery.
Brother George Key will officiate the services

In lieu if flowers, donations may be made to Alzheimer’s Association.

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