Jennifer Venable

Jennifer (Jenny) Elizabeth (Whisenant) Venable, 75, passed from this life to the next on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at Johnson City Medical Center. A resident of Johnson City, Tennessee, she nevertheless lived in a number of places during her lifetime; but she called the South her home.

Jenny was born in Sacramento, California, and baptized and raised a Southern Baptist, but became Lutheran at the age of 21. In 1988, she entered Seminary at Columbia Theological Seminary (PCUSA) in Decatur, Georgia, and graduated from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (ELCA) in Columbia, South Carolina. As an ordained Lutheran minister during a 24-year vocation, Jenny served parishes in Paxton, Atkinson, and Axtell, Nebraska, and in Blountville, Tennessee, before retiring in 2014. She subsequently was received into the Roman Catholic Church and was an active member of St. Mary's in Johnson City from November 22 of that year. At the end of her spiritual journey, she had come “all the way home".

Jenny immensely enjoyed reading and spending many hours at a number of the needle arts, producing items for gifts to family and friends, as well as hospitals, churches and non-profit organizations. She claimed that "If there is a gene for needlework and crafts, I have it quadrupled!”.

Jenny is predeceased by parents, Charles and Clara (MacPherson) Whisenant and is survived by son Chris (Carolyn Nguyen) Venable and grandchildren Sage, Liam and Noah Venable of Troy, Michigan; brother John (Debbie) Whisenant nephews Andy (Jennifer) and Ben (Katie) Whisenant of the Nashville, Tennessee area; and sister Connie Hazlewood and nieces Katherine and Elizabeth Hazlewood of Greenville, South Carolina; grand-nephew Grayson Whisenant; grand-nieces Ellie Whisenant and Maya Whisenant; and of course cousins of all degrees.

 The Venable family will have a visitation at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 2211 East Lakeview Drive, Johnson City, on Monday September 16th, 2024, from 12:00 to 1:00 PM. A Funeral Mass will follow at 1:00 PM with Father Collins to officiate the services. Inurnment will be in the St. Mary's section of Monte Vista Memorial Park at a later date. 

 Memories and condolences may be shared with the family via www.morrisbaker.com.

Morris-Baker Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 2001 E Oakland Ave, Johnson City, is serving the Venable family. (423) 282-1521

 In lieu of flowers, Jenny has requested that donations be given to St. Mary's for its St. Vincent de Paul, Food Pantry, or Youth ministries.