Jo Anne Jeffers

Jo Anne Jeffers, 89, long time resident of St Joseph MI passed away peacefully on Thursday October 26, 2017 at the Heather Hills Care Center in Grand Rapids MI. 

Jo Anne was born on July 5, 1928 in Chicago IL to the late Henry and Johanna (Sorenson) Bacon. She was a graduate of William Horlick High School (Racine, WI) in 1944. Jo Anne was also a 69-year alumna of Oberlin College, receiving her BA in Elementary Education. Jo Anne went on to teach school for over 40 years, the last 22 years as a 1st and 2nd grade teacher at North Lincoln and E.P. Clarke in St Joseph. 

On July 2, 1955, she married the late Dale Jeffers at the First Baptist Church in Racine. They enjoyed over sixty years of marriage. Jo Anne’s joys in life were her husband Dale; her family, friends, and students; and her Green Bay Packers

Jo Anne was a leader to her students and a leader and volunteer within the community, including serving as the president of the Lionesses and serving as an election volunteer with Dale for several years. She will be long remembered by family and friends for her bubbly personality and her joy and enthusiasm toward life. As a beloved aunt, she represented a special time in the lives of nieces and nephews… the moment when they grew to be taller than Aunt Jo Anne (usually around the age of 12). More importantly, she had a way of making everyone feel special.

Jo Anne is survived by nephews Richard (Virginia Pett) Bromund of Wooster, OH, James Hutchings of Houston, TX, Robert (Deborah) Jeffers of Ada MI, Andrew (Mary Ann) Jeffers of Clarkston, MI, and John (Shilpa) Hutchings of Seattle, WA; nieces – Verna (Robert) Kerfonta of Weddington, NC, Sandra McAfee of Denton, TX and Sarah (Paul) Jacobsen of Shawnee, KS; sisters-in-law – Dorothy Hutchings of Houston, TX and Donna Jeffers of Washington, IL; and many grand nieces and nephews that she loved so dearly. She is preceded in death by her sister Elizabeth (Bacon) Bromund.

Dale and Jo Anne will be interred together at Fort Custer National Cemetery in spring/summer of 2018 (date to be determined). Family members will gather together afterward to celebrate her life. Memorial contributions may be made to the St Joseph Public School Foundation (www.sjpsfoundation.org). Friends wishing to leave the family a message of condolence may do so at www.mjfuneral.com

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