Corine Varnell, 94, beloved mother and grandmother passed from this life on August 8, 2026, leaving behind a beautiful legacy of family, hard work, strength, and love. She was born on April 25, 1932, in Paris, Arkansas, one of nine children raised in a hardworking farming family.

Growing up in the Arkansas countryside, Corine knew the meaning of hard work. Her family made their living farming, and from those early days she learned the simple but important lessons that would stay with her throughout her life. Work hard, take care of your family, and cherish the people you love.

Family was always an important part of Corine's life. She experienced the joys of watching her family grow and the heartbreak of saying goodbye to those she loved. Corine was the daughter of the late Robert and Mary Varnell who preceded her in death along with her brothers, Elton Varnell, Gene Varnell, and Johnnie Varnell; her sister, Lorine Tabor; and her beloved daughters, Kathy Tate and Jerry Michelle Johnson.

Corine leaves behind her daughter, Patsy Kelsey, along with her grandchildren, April Kelsey, Gary Kelsey, Michael Kelsey, Don Tate Jr, and Chris Tate, as well as many great-grandchildren. Her family was her greatest legacy, and the love she gave them will continue to live on through every generation that follows.

She will be remembered for the life she lived, the family she raised, the hard work she put into everything she did, and the memories she created along the way. Her roots run deep in the Arkansas soil where she was born and raised, and the lessons and love she carried from those humble beginnings became a part of the family she leaves behind. 

Though her chair may now be empty and her voice may be quiet, the love of a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend will never leave us. It lives on in stories told around the kitchen table, in family gatherings, in the faces of her children and grandchildren, and in all the little pieces of her that have been passed down through the generations. Corine, Mama, Nanny will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever carried in the hearts of her family.

Rest peacefully, Mama. Your work here is done, but your love and your legacy will live on.