JoAnn passed away Thursday, December 7th with Donna, Jim, and Sandra at her bedside after a battle with cancer.

She was born in Clyde, Texas to Sam and Ollie Morris, the first of six children. Preceded in death by her parents, husband Tom, son Tom Jr, and siblings: Evelyn, Sam (BB), Carl, Gaye, and Glenn.

At age sixteen she married Thomas on November 21st, 1952. The two were lifelong companions and best friends for fifty-three years.  They were blessed with three children: Tom Jr., Donna, and Jim.

During the drought of the late fifties, the family moved to West Texas oil fields for work, then on to Oregon where JoAnn had family.  They moved back to Mason in 1977. She was a stay-at-home mom with lots of interests.  An avid reader, shopkeeper (first natural food store in Mason), antique dealer, excellent cook, restauranteur (Homestead Restaurant), and our "holistic guru".

Loved talking about her childhood and times spent with cousins and family. A favorite story she told was about her family being camped at a place picking cotton. She had not been feeling well the previous day, so she stayed at camp alone the next day. Not wanting to be there by herself, she decided she was going to walk to where the rest of the family were.  The only problem was she had no shoes, and it was very hot and the sandy road would burn her feet.  So, she spied two dried halves of watermelon rinds they had eaten earlier, and she slipped a foot in each and down that sandy road she slid in her "watermelon shoes"!!

JoAnn was a friend and mother figure to many, always available to help those in need. "We were poor " she would say, "but we didn't know we were.  We had everything we needed and the people we loved around us."

She loved having a garden, canning, and preserving and was a wonder to watch milking a cow.

Could not ask for a better mom.

Survivors include her children Donna and Jim of Mason, granddaughter Cristina of Mexico, numerous nephews and nieces, cousins, and friends.

The family would like to thank Methodist Hill Country Hospice for their wonderful staff.

Special thanks and love to Armando Vaquera and Sandra Jordan for all their support and care.

A private memorial to fulfill JoAnn's last wishes will be held at a later date.

On-line condolences may be sent to the family at masonfuneralhome.net