Jo Ann Lindsey Owens, long-time resident of Starkville, Mississippi, died Friday, the thirteenth of November at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo from a relatively sudden illness. Born in 1930, she is a graduate of Starkville High School and received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education from Mississippi State University and spent most of her career teaching the children of Starkville Public Schools.
Jo Ann was the embodiment of gentleness and concern for others. A devoted wife and mother, she took meticulous care of others… from her husband David and daughter Amanda and son in law Paul to her relatives, friends, pets, and the many students she taught. She was a friend and optimistic force in the lives of so many. Her strong Christian faith and positive outlook about life got her through serious illnesses and kept her going. She never complained or stopped smiling, and it was never questioned that whatever the circumstance, she would bounce back because of her strong will and determination.
Often, she remarked that she was busier now than when she was when teaching full time. In retirement, she continued to do what she loved… helping people. It didn’t matter the person; Jo Ann’s joy was making people happy. After teaching elementary school for forty years, she tutored athletes at the Mississippi State University Athletic Department. She loved Mississippi State sports and was quick to give her opinion about a game or play. During games, the phone wasn’t answered and there was no talking; it was serious business. In fact, several people would call her afterwards to get her “take” on the game. Jo Ann also enjoyed calling, visiting and delivering meals and flowers to those who were unable to leave their home, sick, grieving, or people who just needed uplifting. That was her gift. People felt at ease around Jo Ann because of her smile and how she made people feel as though they were never a stranger. She was of strong faith and has been described as a “rock” and “go to person” for the First Baptist Church Naomi Sunday School Class of which she loved and was a devoted and active member, serving in many leadership positions from president to treasurer.
Her social calendar was always full with bridge, bunko, dominoes, and activities with church and friends. Her family would laugh and say they had to be “penciled in” to get a visit. She was a joy to be around and her quick wit and sense of humor was a certain plus. Being a dedicated member of the Wellness Connection, she hardly missed working out three days a week. She too, always enjoyed a challenge… from the Sudoku puzzles she worked just about every day to the plant clippings and barely surviving plants she would find and bring back to life to flourish in her flower garden. She did love gardening… flowers or vegetables, it did not matter. As she would feed the birds and squirrels in her yard every day, she would check her plants and their progress… patiently waiting for that bloom to open or that tomato to get ripe enough to pick before her birds found it. As a testament to her gracious character, during her last hours, she looked to the nurse that was caring for her and whispered thank you.
Although eighty-five, Jo Ann was, as recently as a couple of months ago, still busy with her various activities, still living independently, and still extending the ready hand of friendship. Hers was a life well lived and well appreciated. One does not have to think long to remember how generous, kind, and uplifting Jo Ann Lindsey Owens was during her lifetime. She will be missed by family, friends, and the community.
Jo Ann was preceded in death by her husband, David “Dog” Owens; parents, Ina Bell and Talmadge Lindsey; sister and brother in law, Betty Jean and J.W. Ray; brother, Paul Lindsey, and brother and sister in law, Curtis “Buzz” Lindsey and Jean Lindsey.
She is survived by her daughter Amanda Owens Miller (Paul D. Miller) of Tupelo, Mississippi; niece Vicki Ray Alston (Max Alston) of Savannah, Tennessee, sister in law Janice Rhodes Lindsey of Pensacola, Florida; and many nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews throughout the country.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 Wednesday evening, on the eighteenth of November, at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville, Mississippi. Funeral services will held at 11:00 Thursday morning, the nineteenth of November, in the main sanctuary of Starkville’s First Baptist Church with an additional visitation one hour preceding the funeral. Burial will be at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Starkville, Mississippi, immediately following the funeral service. An on-line guestbook is available at welchfuneralhomes.com. Should friends desire, Jo Ann would be happy for memorials to be made to the charity of his/her choice. She would really be pleased if you simply helped someone in need with a visit or just performed a good deed.