Novella Steele passed away peacefully on February 26, 2025. She was born on July 23, 1927, in Hollywood, Broward County, Florida, to Talmadge Don Jenkins of Chamberlain, Tennessee, and Achsah May Bogart of Harriman, Tennessee.
On October 20, 1949, Novella married the love of her life, Lee B. Steele Jr., in Miami Beach, Florida. Together, they built a beautiful life and shared 45 wonderful years of marriage.
Novella had a passion for travel and was a talented seamstress. In her younger years, she worked as an elevator model in a department store and was even featured in LIFE magazine. She later worked as a tax assessor in Denison, Texas, where she made a lasting impact on her community. But above all, Novella’s greatest joy came from being a devoted mother and a military wife, supporting her husband through his service and creating a loving home for their family.
She leaves behind a legacy of love and family, including her two children, Talmadge Steele of Plano, Texas, and Nancy Brown and husband Tommy of Hurst, Texas; her grandchildren, Heather Bush and husband Lonnie of Flower Mound, Texas, and Melinda Houston and husband Cameron of Flower Mound, Texas; and five beloved great-grandchildren.
Novella is preceded in death by her parents, Talmadge and May Jenkins; her brother, Talmadge Ralph Jenkins; her husband, Lee B. Steele Jr.; and her daughter-in-law, Sonja Alyne Steele.
Her warmth, kindness, and unwavering love for her family will forever be cherished.
A graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 1, 2025, at Fairview Cemetery, 1501 TX-91, Denison, Texas 75020.
