Baby Duke’s name is………
DRUM ROLL PLEASE
JESS
PAULINE
DUKE
Name Sakes:
Jessica Montgomery Edwards (Kendra’s College Roommate)
Jesse Lyon (Uncle)
Jessie Pauline Reynolds (Great, Great, Grandmother)
Debbie Pauline Sills Duke (Grandmother)
Story + Meaning behind the name Jess:
Jessica Montgomery Edwards, is one of many dear college friends who continually pointed Kendra to Jesus. Kendra credits her relationship and commitment to The Lord to three of her college best friends - Jessica, Nikki, and Callie. These friends taught her “what a friend she has in Jesus” by showing how to be a true friend to Kendra, and to each other. Jessica specifically, taught me how to be “a friend who sticks closer than a sister”. We pray that Jess will be like her namesake; thoughtful, caring, loving and will pursue her friends fiercely with every ounce of her being!
We have a family history is kindred friendships. Kendra’s grandparents, Bill and Sue Lyon, started a lineage of deep friendships that still exist and continue today. To this day, impactful stories of the these life long friends at East Side Church of Christ are shared at weddings, showers, Sunday school, reunions, dinner tables, and holiday gatherings. This gift of friendship was passed down to Kendra’s dad, Mark Lyon. Growing up, her dad’s friends were as close as family. Kendra always cherished these memories and prayed that she too would one day have such treasured friendships. The prayer was answered, and in the true nature of our Savior, far exceeded. Kendra’s friends today are (like our grandparents and parents) just like family. Being a true friend and breading deep friendship is a true linage and gift from The Lord. “....there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24
Kendra was named after her Dad’s freshman roommate at ACU, Ken Kitching. Who is still one of my dad’s best friends 30 + years after college. So in keeping with that tradition. We are naming our baby girl, Jess. After Kendra’s freshman roommate at LCU, Jessica Montgomery Edwards. Who is still one of Kendra's best friends.
Jess or actually Jesse is also a family name. Kendra’s younger brother’s name is Jesse. Jesse is a trail blazing, creative, fearless entrepreneur. This is also a linage we have in our family, Kendra’s grandad - Frank Kendrick Harrell, Noah’s grandad - Rayford Duke, both of our dads, and now, us kids have that same entrepreneurial spirit. We pray that over Jess- that she will have a trail blazing spirit of her uncle Jesse, grandads and great grandads. That she, like her name sake, Uncle Jesse, won’t be afraid to try “crazy ideas”, step outside of social norms to chase a dream, will have a creative spirit to strategize and pursue an idea with vision, and execute it with excellence!
In addition to this namesake - there is another reason for this name. Kendra’s great grandmother’s name was actually Jessie Pauline Reynolds. She was a dedicated Christian who read her bible daily, she was a very hard working woman who led her family spiritually. There are many, many, connections with this family name.
Name Meaning:
JESS - The Lord Exists
Origin: Hebrew
Jess is a boy or girls name meaning “the Lord exists” . It is a variant of the Hebrew name Jesse.
Story + Meaning behind the name Pauline:
Noah’s mother, Debbie Duke, middle name is Pauline. Debbie is truly a God fearing women, a true prayer warrior, and knows Jesus personally. She wakes up early to start every day with the Bible - and studies the word fervently. She is not swayed by situational circumstances or by others but is true to herself - she knows she is a true daughter of King Jesus. She is the spiritual leader in her family. She is kind, empathetic, generous, forgiving and hardworking. Noah has mentioned time and time again that he does not know anyone who works as hard as his mother. She puts the needs of others before herself and sees the potential in “the least of these” (Matthew 25). She would give anything she had to a complete stranger and truly lives out Matthew 25
“ The King will reply, truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sister of mine, you for me.”
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”
We pray that Jess, like her grandma Debbie will read and study scripture fervently, will be generous and servant hearted, empathetic, hardworking, will see “the least of these” as brothers and sisters in Christ, will be true to herself and not swayed by the world.
Kendra was also named after her dad’s mother, Laska Sue (Kendra Sue). So we have decided to not only keep the college roommate thing going but to also keep this a tradition as well. Pauline is Noah’s mothers middle name, Deborah Pauline (Jess Pauline). So again, baby duke will have her dad’s mother’s middle name.