Obituary for Jo Ann Sewell

Jo Ann Sewell

(January 1, 1935 – March 18, 2017)

JoAnn Jarvis Sewell, 82, of Perry died on Saturday March 18, 2017 with her family by her side.

Viewing will be held Wednesday, March 22, at Trout Funeral Home in Perry with family greeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Thursday, March 23, 2017, at the First Presbyterian Church in Perry, with Pastor Josh Kerr officiating. Interment will follow at Grace Hill Cemetery.

JoAnn was born Jan. 1, 1935 in Erick, Oklahoma to Earl and Emma (Gilbreath) Jarvis. She was raised in Weatherford, OK and graduated from Weatherford High School in 1953. After high school she went to work in Oklahoma City at an insurance company.

She met Joe C. Sewell, an ag teacher in the neighboring town of Corn, and on Feb. 20, 1955 they were married in the First Presbyterian Church in Perry. They made their home in Perry and JoAnn went to work for GOE Drilling Company until they relocated their office to Tulsa. She then went to work for Donahue & Mugler Insurance Company and stayed with them until 1959, leaving shortly before her first son, Joe was born. She became a stay at home mom and was a devoted wife and mother. She had her second son, Shawn, in 1964.

JoAnn spent lots of time at her boys’ sporting events and helping with functions and board meetings at First Bank and Trust, where her husband was president. She made ice cream for the annual ice cream social and volunteered her services, organizing and assisting with other events.

JoAnn was a longtime member of the Perry Garden Club and she enjoyed planting and taking care of flowers. She volunteered at Perry Memorial Hospital and spent two years serving as president of PMH Auxiliary. JoAnn was an avid bowler and bowled on teams that often went to state tournaments.

She loved Thomas Kinkade paintings and she loved to travel. She accompanied her husband on business trips and together they visited just about every state in the union. They traveled to Acapulco for vacation six years in a row and took about a half dozen cruises, visiting places like Canada and Alaska.

JoAnn is survived by her husband of 62 years; son Joe W. Sewell and Kimbra Weiher of Yukon, OK; son Shawn A. Sewell of Perry; granddaughter, Shannon Sewell of Edmond; grandson Michael Sewell of Homer, Alaska; their mother Gayla Reed-Sewell of Yukon, OK.; brother Bobby Jarvis of Atlanta, GA.; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Dale Jarvis; and a sister, Faye Jarvis Minton.

Casketbearers will be Jason Sewell, Cody Sewell, Brian Sewell, Spencer Sewell, Michael Sewell, Melrose Minton III and Butch Jarvis. Honorary casketbearers are William Baker, Gwen Easter, Rick Johnson, Jon Alexander, Angie Drake, Shirley Scott, John Inselman, Bill Thomason, Bob Bolay and Leland Harris.

For those who wish, memorial donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association or the First Presbyterian Church of Perry in care of Trout Funeral Home, 1408 N. 7th Street, Perry, OK 73077. Online condolences can be made at www.troutfuneralhome.com.

Source: Trout Funeral Home