LaQuita K. Saunders

LaQuita K. Saunders, 69, of Jonesboro, passed away on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at her home.

Born in Stillwater, Oklahoma, LaQuita lived in Oklahoma and Texas before moving to Jonesboro with her family in 1966. She was a 1973 graduate of Jonesboro High School. LaQuita earned a Bachelor's degree at Arkansas State University, a Juris Doctorate at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law, and a Master's of History at ASU. She taught history at ASU for 23 years, retiring in 2018.

LaQuita was an avid reader, devouring biographies and law review articles with the same relish as the latest novels by her favorite mystery writers. She loved traveling, a bug that bit her from an early age, the result of endless car rides through the Southwest and Europe with her parents and brothers. She adored puzzles, especially word games. But most of all, LaQuita loved being an educator – her students’ achievements made her just as proud as her own children’s.

LaQuita was a long-time member of the Arkansas League of Women Voters and past president of the Jonesboro League of Women Voters. She is a former member of the Arkansas Chapter of the ACLU and a local Book Club.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Dr. Earnest L. Saunders, and her parents, Dr. Charles L. and Mildred I. Gephardt Kenner.

Survivors include her husband, Jeffrey W. Crump of the home; 3 sons: Charles Robert Saunders (Jessica) of Little Rock, Eric Lee Saunders (Abigail Bell) of Washington, DC, and Sean Michael Saunders of Kansas City, Missouri; 1 daughter, Christina Lanier Crump of Jonesboro; 2 brothers, Rick Kenner of Fort Worth, Texas, and Kevin Kenner (Kathy) of Greenville, Texas; and 2 grandchildren, Ian Saunders and Millie Saunders.

Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at Emerson Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Emerson Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow in Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery.

For lasting memorials, the family asks that consideration be given to the ASU Foundation, memo: Dr. Charles Kenner History Memorial Scholarship, PO Box 1990, State University, AR 72467; or online at www.astatealumni.org.