After a weekend surrounded by loved ones, Rosa Ernestine McGee Dunaway passed away at 81 years of age, on Monday, May 11, 2026, in Jackson, Tennessee, following a brave battle with melanoma. A lifelong Tennessean, she was born in Jackson on May 18, 1944, grew up in Bethel Springs, and was a proud 1962 graduate of Bethel Springs High School. She went on to graduate from West Tennessee Business College. She soon began a nearly 39-year long career as a public servant with the federal government working for Selective Service and Farmers Home Administration (later Farm Service Agency); she retired in 2009.

On March 4, 1963, Ernestine eloped with her sweetheart, Larry Dunaway. After the wedding in Florence, Alabama, the two lived their entire married life in Bethel Springs; Ernestine continued to live there until her passing. During their 53 years of marriage, she and Larry welcomed a beloved son, Mark and later daughter-in-law, Debbie, and three cherished grandchildren Tyler, Nicholas, and Megan. In 2020, she joyfully celebrated the marriages of both Tyler and Nicholas--followed by the births of three precious great granddaughters.

Ernestine was preceded in death by her husband Larry, parents Lawrence Carl and Lena Pearl, and brother Nathan McGee. She is survived by Mark and Debbie; her grandchildren Tyler (Kendal), Nicholas (Annie), and Megan; and her three great granddaughters Chandler, Everly, and Josie. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Donna McGee and nephew, Jeremy McGee.

Ernestine loved life. She was a member of Selmer First United Methodist Church. In years gone by, Ernestine and Larry’s favorite hobbies included golfing, camping, and traveling to any ball field or gymnasium where Mark and, later, their grandchildren were competing. In addition to being an animal lover, Ernestine also enjoyed playing golf with her friends at Selmer Country Club, gardening, tending her flowers, reading, traveling with family and friends, and watching her favorite teams: the St. Louis Cardinals, Memphis Tigers, and Ole Miss Rebels.

If friends would like to make a donation in honor of Ernestine’s life, the family asks for memorials to be sent to Selmer First United Methodist Church, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or to a charity of their choice.