Jo Ann Underwood Wilson was born May 1, 1934 in Nevada, Missouri. The daughter of Ernest and Violet Raines Underwood. She grew up in the Nevada area and graduated from Nevada High School. Jo Ann was united in marriage to H. De. Wilson in 1951. Together they moved to Harrisonville, Missouri, then to Butler, Missouri in 1966 for H. De’s work.
During Jo Ann’s years in Butler, she worked in the Butler school cafeteria, Montgomery Wards, and became the manager of Bowen’s Hallmark when it opened in 1979 until 1994. Many people that couldn’t remember her name affectionately referred to her as one of the “Hallmark ladies”.
H. De. and Jo Ann retired in 1994 and were able to fulfill their life-long wish to travel. They took numerous trips to Las Vegas and visited many of the states, but Jo Ann said she would never go to Hawaii because she was afraid to fly over water. Over the last 15 years or so, they stayed in Gulf Shores as “Snow Birds”. That way they were able to be close to their youngest daughter and grandchildren who all lived nearby. Many happy memories were made over the years. Jo Ann and H. De. both enjoyed taking bus trips to casinos and hardly ever missed a Monday night Bingo in Adrian.
Jo Ann was preceded in death by her parents, husband H. De. Wilson and daughter Tonia Wilson Miller. She is survived by daughters Teresa Wilson of Butler, MO., and Tamara Deardorff and husband Rich of Gulf Shores, AL. She also leaves behind her grandchildren, Mike Miller and wife Emily, Jennifer Hays and husband Steve, Samantha Dixon, Lauren Zarate and husband Donnie, along with seven great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
