La Juana Renee Wyatt

La Juana accepted the Lord as her savior at an early age and continued to serve and love him throughout her life. She was a very spiritual being and would blast her gospel music and sing for all to hear. She was a member of Full Gospel Missionary Baptist church in Los Angeles where she joined the choir, played the piano and belong to local #77 a gospel signing touring group with her grandmother, sister and brother for many years. She also toured as a child actress with them in the gospel play called “We’ve come a long way” which performed in the historic Los Angeles Wilshire Ebell Theater, and as far as Oregon State.

La Juana was educated in Los Angeles and graduated from Westchester High School in 1974, and later attended Los Angeles Southwest Community College. She loved education and went on to pursue a career with the Los Angeles Unified school district for 30 years where she worked with some of the more challenging students in the Deans’ office as a Dean’s Assistant. She was much respected and some students whom had had encounters with her would say “Ms. Juana? You don’t want to mess with her”. She was strict but always with a loving hand.

La Juana met and later married Markham Devon Jones Sr. To this union they had one son who they named Markham Devon Jones Jr.

La Juana loved good food, and being with family. Her favorite holiday was all of them. Any reason for the family to gather was good with her, as long as she did not have to cook, but could tell you how and in fact was a very good cook. In her young years, she met a school friend Carol Rabb. The two became inseparable, friends for life they experienced many of life’s first events together, they were sisters and remained the best of friends. La Juana had a big heart, feeding the homeless and helping the elderly. Being her mom’s caregiver, she gain many adopted moms and dads at the senior complex where her mom lived. There are many stories to tell about La Juana that would take a writing a book, but will surely be discussed among those who loved her so much.

Although she spent most of her life in California, she loved her family which led her to relocate to Texas to be with her brother and later again move to Las Vegas to be with her mother and sister in 2007. Living in Las Vegas for 13 years she met some amazing friends. She met her love partner Randy Thomas in 2014. Randy’s family and hers became a blended family and enjoyed many holidays and family gatherings together. She loved Bingo and had a Bingo withdrawal during the pandemic which closed the casinos. Upon opening her and Phil, her bingo buddy where among the first to hit the bingo halls again. La Juana was loved by all, many of her neighbors including, Phil, Carol, Derick and Yo who became great friends and like family to her.

The most prideful time of her life was the birth of her only son Markham. She was so proud of the man he became and that God had blessed her with a grandson Sirr Kingston Jones. She loved and enjoyed this child so much. All of those who knew her were sure to receive daily pictures and video of his little life of 10 months. Although he will not grow up to have physical memories of her he will have a library of pictures to tell the story they had together to know and see how much he was loved.

La Juana leaves to cherish her love, her son Markham Devon Jones Jr (Shantanay), grandson Sirr Kingston Jones, sisters Yvette Walton (Lamont), all of Las Vegas, Paula Wyatt-Boyd, LaGronia Ann Wyatt of Los Angeles, brothers Kenneth Wyatt (Joanne) of Texas, Korey Wyatt of Los Angeles, nieces, Michele Shaw, Maretta Wyatt (Chris) all of Texas, Jenetta Pinkney (Phillip) of South Carolina , nephews Roshawn Stewart of Las Vegas, Kenneth Wyatt Jr (Shenna), La Gronie Wyatt II (Deondra) of Texas,

one uncle Alonzo Patrick of Washington State, Step-Mother Harley Wyatt of Los Angeles and a host of great nephews, cousins and friends.