of Little Rock, AR

April 11, 1931 - May 8, 2024

Lacel Irene Thurber, 93 years old, affectionately known as Mimi by her family, peacefully crossed over into the presence of her Lord Jesus, Wednesday night, May 8, 2024. We envision she was reunited with and welcomed by her many loved ones who previously made the eternal transition. We can imagine her welcome committee, headed by the Lord, Jesus Christ himself, followed by her father, John Wesley DeMorest; her mother, Lillie Annie Mae DeMorest; her husband of 45 years, Loyd Eugene Thurber; her sons, Wesley and Chris Thurber; her sisters, Ruthie Champayne, Johnnie Sue Johnson, Lidth Pearl Cheesman, Joan Jean DeMorest (twin sisters); her son-in-law, Dutch Kelton; her grand-children, Keri West and Brayden Bell and many cousins and other family members. Man, what a reunion that must have been!

She is survived by daughters, Diane Kelton, Deborah Bryant, Wanda (Allan) English, Vicky Lockert, Donna Thurber and son, Chapman Thurber; grandchildren, Aaron English, Kevin (Lacey) Bryant, Allan English, Vanessa (Darren) Turner, Amber (Colby) Pullen, John (Brandy) Thurber, Jenni Thurber, Jessica (Jacob) Brown, Jacob (Jennifer) Thurber, Dustin Lockert and Kaitlynn (Walker) Brown. Mimi has thirty-four great-grand children and five great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews and loved ones who will love and miss her.

Mimi loved to laugh, loved her birds, loved to fish, loved to be bossy, loved Christmas, loved to spend time with family, and most importantly, she loved Jesus. She so loved to give Christmas gifts she could have easily substituted for Mrs. Claus had the job ever become vacant!

Mimi's smile was infectious, making it very hard to stay mad at her, but get on her wrong side, her fiery glare and her raised eyebrow could make you want to run and hide! She was a very faithful and dutiful wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She always had a wonderful work ethic and that came from being raised in the country at Calfneck, Arkansas (near Perryville) by her parents.

As a child, she was a hard worker, hoeing cotton, corn and other things to help her dad, since her mother had heart problems. One of her fondest memories happened when she was around three years old. She would sit in her dad's lap every morning while he drank coffee. One of these mornings, she went to get her China doll from her bed and when she pulled the quilt, the doll fell off and broke. She was heartbroken, but her dad consoled her by assuring her he would get her a new one. When he came home, he presented her with a new doll, but it stunk of a rubber smell! It was very expensive to buy a new China doll, so a rubber doll was all he could afford. She was so disappointed at the time, but later would laugh about it.

To the family, Mimi was not just a 93 year-old frail woman who had outlived her husband and sisters, but a wealth of stories, fun times and loving matriarch of the family.

Funeral service will be 1:00pm Monday, May 13, 2024 at New Life Baptist Church, 10765 Samples Rd, Alexander, Arkansas 72002 with visitation at the church at 12:00pm.

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