Wilma Jean Pepper

Jean Pepper, 100, of Flagstaff, Arizona, passed away peacefully on December 10, 2025. A beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Jean lived a century filled with faith, music, family, and service to others.

Born Wilma Jean Sumner, on September 29, 1925, in Louisville, Kentucky, Jean grew up as a loving daughter and sister among six siblings. Even as a young girl, her love for music and caring spirit shone brightly. In July of 1943, she married her sweetheart, Reed Pepper, before he left to serve overseas with the Army. When Reed returned, the couple began their life together in California, where they settled in Lindsay. Together, they opened Pepper’s Market in Lindsay in 1948—an enduring fixture in the community for many years.

Together, Reed and Jean raised two children, Steven and Anna, and were lifelong members of the Southern Baptist Church. Once the children were raised, they moved to Visalia to pursue new opportunities. Their faith guided much of their life’s work; the couple helped to build three churches, two locally and one in Brazil. Jean’s devotion to family and faith shaped everything she did—she was always ready to lend a hand, a prayer, or a song to anyone in need.

Jean had sung publicly since age six and continued throughout her life as a soloist, in church choirs, quartets, and the Sweet Adelines. She even entertained radio audiences during the war years. Beyond music, she was an accomplished seamstress, crafting not only clothing but costumes for plays, weddings, and community events. Her creativity also extended to painting ceramics and dolls.

After 54 years of marriage, Reed passed away and Jean carried on as the backbone of the family. Eventually, Jean moved to Quail Park in Visalia where she lived happily for eight years before moving to Flagstaff, Arizona to be closer to family. During that time, she became a member of Crest Memorial Baptist Church in Tulare.

Jean is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Anna & Dan Vagnino, two grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, and a great-great-granddaughter, all of whom she adored. She was preceded in death by her husband, Reed, and their son, Steven.

Services will be held Tuesday, December 30, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at Webb Sanders and Smith Funeral Home in Lindsay, California, followed by a brief graveside service at Lindsay-Strathmore Cemetery. Jean’s life was a melody of kindness, devotion, and joy—one that will echo in the hearts of all who knew her. “I pray that God will be pleased with how I used the talents he gave me.” Jean Pepper.

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