Stine Gardens: A brilliant microbiologist who was born in Altus in 1939 cultivated a career in research and development
- Dennis McCaslin
- 22 minutes ago
- 3 min read
In the world of biochemistry, few stories highlight the steady progress of a dedicated researcher quite like that of Jane Marie Dawson Funkhouser. Born in 1939 in rural Arkansas, she built a career in academia while navigating personal losses and embracing an active retirement.
Funkhouser passed away on March 4, 2025, at age 85 in Memphis, Tennessee, leaving behind a record of scientific work and family connections.
.
She arrived alongside her twin sister, Dana Gale Dawson, July 10, 1939 as the daughters of Milton Vanbern Dawson and Hazel E. Hall Dawson.
Milton, born in 1910 in nearby Johnson County, married Hazel in Sebastian County on November 5, 1938. The family expanded in 1945 with the birth of their younger brother, Bud Milton Dawson.
Life in Altus during the 1940s reflected the era's challenges, including recovery from the Great Depression and the impacts of World War II. The Dawsons lived modestly in this Ozark community, which helped shape Jane's practical approach and interest in science.
Jane's life took difficult turns in her mid-20s. Her father, Milton, died in 1965 at age 55 in Fort Smith, leaving Hazel to support the family. Around the same time, Jane married Harold Mervin Funkhouser, born in 1931 in Subiaco. Harold, from a similar rural background with parents Arthur and Pauline Funkhouser, passed away unexpectedly in 1966 at age 35.
The couple had no children, and Harold was buried in Elizabeth Hall Cemetery. Jane, then in her mid-20s, turned to her education as a way forward.
Jane pursued higher education at the University of Arkansas, earning a PhD in biochemistry during a time when opportunities for women in the field were limited.
 By the late 1970s, she joined the faculty at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, Alabama. She gained tenure as an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry by 1982, working with colleagues like Dr. Rosa Huang.
Over her 31-year tenure at the university, Funkhouser advanced in her role, focusing on research in cellular and molecular biology. Her work often explored genetic disorders and epithelial cell functions. Key publications include:
"Additional effects of monovalent cations on the lysine-sensitive aspartokinase of Escherichia coli" (1983, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics), co-authored with V. Anne Smith and others, which examined enzyme regulation.
"Speculations on ataxia-telangiectasia: defective regulation of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily" (1989, Immunology Today), a collaborative piece with Raymond D.A. Peterson on links between the disorder and immune genes.
"Ataxia–Telangiectasia: An Important Clue" (1990, New England Journal of Medicine), also with Peterson, addressing the condition's clinical aspects.
Later studies, such as one on the major APN transcript in alveolar type II epithelial cells, which identified a unique transcriptional start site.
t
She also contributed to research on chitinase family GH18, providing evolutionary insights into the protein family in a 2007 paper.
 In total, Funkhouser authored or co-authored at least 31 publications, which have received over 439 citations.
 Her efforts bridged lab-based science with potential medical applications, including for ataxia-telangiectasia, a rare disorder involving neurological decline and higher cancer risks.
She served as a reviewer for journals and study sections, such as the NIH Lung Biology & Pathology Study Section.
 Funkhouser retired in 2010. .Outside her professional duties, Funkhouser maintained an active routine. She settled in Daphne, Alabama, near Mobile Bay, where she owned a home on Van Avenue.
There, she played tennis and golf and went sailing, activities that suited the coastal environment and offered a break from her work.I
In her later years, she relocated to Memphis, Tennessee, likely to stay near family, including her nephew John Whittington in Marion, Arkansas. Family ties remained important, despite ongoing losses: her mother, Hazel, died in 1990; her brother, Bud, in 2011; and her twin, Dana (who married into the Whittington family), in 2019.
Funkhouser's funeral arrangements reflected her Arkansas origins. A visitation occurred on March 12, 2025, at Shaffer Funeral Home in Ozark, followed by a graveside service on March 13 at Burnett Cemetery, led by Brother Jan Akins.
Her path from a small-town upbringing to a tenured position in biochemistry demonstrates focus and adaptability in a challenging field for women.
Funkhouser's research continues to inform studies on cellular mechanisms and genetics, while her story underscores the role of education and family in overcoming obstacles.
