Stella Fern Tynes

Stella Fern Tynes, aged 81, died October 20, 2012 with her family by her side in Atlanta, Georgia. She was born in Tuscola, Illinois on December 30, 1930, the daughter of Everett and Flora Decker. Stella took pride in her Illini heritage and was ever faithful to her hometown upbringing in Tuscola. She and her husband, Don, were blessed with a 57 year marriage that included 4 children and residences from Illinois to Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Georgia. While most of their years were spent in Georgia, Stella and her husband regularly visited the Tuscola friends and family to whom she was so devoted. Stella s greatest joy was spending time with her children and, later, her grandchildren. She never ceased looking after her loved ones in any way possible. Whether it was baking her son s favorite home-made pizzas for him to put in the freezer, purchasing treats for her grandchildren, or buying a pretty accessory for one of her daughters, Stella was always thinking of how she could care for her family. Stella also enjoyed traveling the globe with her husband and, together they visited 5 of the 7 continents. She was particularly fond of London and logged a number of visits to this favorite destination, often sharing these happy trips by bringing along family or friends. Stella took pleasure in collecting small mementos from these trips that best represented local artwork or crafts. Not surprisingly, Stella s love for art led her to eventually take up painting. She became quite an accomplished artist, but her work is only displayed in the homes of family and friends as Stella s inspiration came from nature and her loved ones. Nature was close to Stella s heart, and she was known for her ability to coax any seedling she adopted to flourish to the point that she could share clippings with her children and neighbors. And she was as dedicated to animals as well as plants. She was a proud supporter of many wildlife foundations and even contributed to the adoption of a rescued elephant named Flora. Stella and Don have resided in Cumming for 16 years and have been regular attendees of the 1st United Methodist Church of Cumming. She is survived by her husband, Don, her 3 daughters, Lynn, Kathy & Patty, her son, Andy, her 5 grandchildren, Lisa, Jonathan, Lauren, Becca, and Bonnie, and 2 great-grandchildren, Addison and Gracyn. Services honoring Stella s life include visitation at McDonald s Funeral Home in Cumming on Tuesday, Oct. 23, 6:00 8:00 pm and a funeral service on Wednesday at 11:00 am in McDonald s chapel.