Jennifer Ivy Black

Jennifer Ivy Seagroatt was born on December 19, 1946, in Welwyn, Hertfordshire, in the UK, to Ruth and Alec Seagroatt. She grew up in Welwyn with her parents, her older brother, Graham, her younger sisters, Jane and Greta, and her extended family, including her beloved Aunties Ivy, Lucy and Marg. Jennifer grew up attending Welwyn Evangelical Church, where she was baptized and became a member, later teaching Sunday School and leading Girl Guides.

Upon completing secretarial college courses at the age of 19, Jennifer and her friend Rosemary accepted an offer to work as secretaries at Covenant College at Lookout Mountain, right above Chattanooga, TN. While working at Covenant, Jennifer met Walter Black, a student at Covenant who turned out to be the love of her life. After getting engaged in the summer of 1967 while visiting Disney Land, Walter and Jennifer married on June 8, 1968, at Welwyn Evangelical Church.

Walter and Jennifer spent the first year of their marriage in Philadelphia, PA, and then moved to Las Cruces, NM where Walter was from, so that he could complete a PhD in Education Management at New Mexico State University. After that, they moved around the US for a few years, welcoming daughter Danielle while living in Raleigh, North Carolina, and daughter Janine while living in Coral Ridge, Florida. When Janine was still a baby, they returned to Las Cruces, NM, where they welcomed their son, Graham, and where they lived for many years.

Jennifer devoted herself to her family, supporting Walter in his many adventures, and nurturing her children as they grew. Jennifer loved to sew and knit, creating many stylish outfits and accessories for her loved ones over the years. And she was devoted for most of her life to supporting her church, continuing to teach Sunday School and Children’s Church, and teaching her family to do the same. She loved the Lord dearly, and served him faithfully her entire life.

As much as Jennifer loved being a mom, though, her favorite title became Grandma. She spent countless hours building Legos, reading books, doing puzzles, and cuddling and singing to her five grandchildren.

In 2018, Walter and Jennifer moved to Katy, TX to be closer to some of their grandkids. It was in Katy where Jennifer would bravely face stage IV cancer in her kidney, and then a diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia. Throughout all of life’s many challenges, Jennifer rested in the promises of God, knowing that her Lord and Savior would faithfully provide for her. On Sunday, June 7, 2026, one day shy of the 58th anniversary of Jennifer and Walter’s marriage, the Lord called her home after several months of recurrent strokes.

Jennifer was preceded in death by her daughter, Danielle Marie Black, whose life was cut short in tragic circumstances on October 30, 2019. She is survived by her husband, the love of her life, Walter Preston Black. She is also survived by her daughter Janine (Black) Sotelo, Janine’s husband, Rev. Axel Sotelo, and their three sons, Alec Sotelo, Andre Sotelo (and his wife Noelle), and Axel Aidan Sotelo; and by her son Graham Black, Graham’s wife Sara Black, and their daughter, Emma Black, and son, Elijah Black. Jennifer is also survived by her siblings, Graham Seagroatt and his wife Shirley, Jane Puttock and her husband Malcolm, and Greta Groombridge.