Jean (Rainer) Meadows

            Jean Rainer Meadows of Opelika died peacefully on February 1, 2019, at Bethany House with her family by her side.  She was 96. 

            Born on November 27, 1922, in Union Springs, she was the youngest child of the late Mr.  & Mrs. Sterling Price Rainer, Jr.  She was raised in Union Springs and attended the public schools there.  She then attended Judson College and graduated from Alabama Polytechnic Institute.  She was a member of Kappa Delta Sorority.

            She married Robert T. (Jack) Meadows, Jr. in 1948.  Their journey together lasted until Mr. Meadows’ death in 1988.  During their marriage they lived in Eufaula and then in Opelika, where she has resided for the last 60 plus years.  She was a school teacher in the Eufaula City Schools and the Opelika City Schools, ultimately retiring from the Opelika City Schools after a career spanning more than 30 years.

            She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Opelika.  She took an active part in the affairs of her church.  Her love for her family and her friends, her sweet disposition and her concern for others endeared her to everyone who knew her.

            She was preceded in death by her husband, her mother and father, her brothers, Sterling Price Rainer, III of Selma, William Evans Rainer of Union Springs and LaCoste Rainer of Union Springs, and her sister, Florence Haynes of Birmingham.

            She is survived by her children, Bob (Ruth) Meadows, Rainer (Susan) Meadows  and Jean Vereen (Bruce) Heath, all of Opelika, her 9 grandchildren, Rob (Erin) Meadows of Monroe, GA, Ben (Kara) Meadows of Wellesley Hills, MA, Claire (Drew) Weaver of Acworth, GA, Maggie (Jamie) Cooper of Opelika, Jennifer (Bill) Schwenk of Opelika, Price (Megan) Meadows of Opelika, Will (Stacey) Heath of Leeds, AL, Whit (Jessie) Heath of Dothan, Jack (Beth) Heath of Atlanta, her 19 great grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews.   

            Visitation will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church in Opelika on Sunday, February 3, 2019, from 3:00 until 4:00.  There will be a service celebrating her life at First United Methodist Church on Sunday, February 3, 2019, beginning at 4:00.  Rev. Robin Wilson will officiate. 

            There will be a family graveside service at Garden Hills Cemetery.

            Honorary Pallbearers will be Rob Meadows, Ben Meadows, Drew Weaver, Jamie Cooper, Bill Schwenk, Price Meadows, Will Heath, Whit Heath and Jack Heath.

            In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the First United Methodist Church of Opelika Building Fund, the East Alabama Medical Center Cancer Center or the Presbyterian Home for Children.  

            The family wishes to thank the administrators and employees at Azalea Place, the special care givers who assisted her in her last months and the employees of Bethany House for their kind and compassionate care. 

            Jeffcoat Trant Funeral Home is directing.

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