Jo Ann Haun

Jo Ann Haun of Jonesboro, passed peacefully from this earth early on the morning of January 24th, 2019. She was born to her parents Cleve and Carrie September 29, 1939 and raised on a tenant farm in Stanford, AR, the youngest of her three siblings Merle, Ray and Pearlene. In spite of a humble upbringing, she became a class favorite, class clown and Homecoming Queen at Stanford High School. She was also a fiercely tough competitor in basketball and softball. She occasionally played first base with no glove as there was not always enough equipment for all the players.

Upon graduating high school, she moved to Florida to live with her sister where she taught dance lessons for a living. After about a year, she returned to Arkansas and moved to Jonesboro. It was here that she met Bobby Haun of Valley View. He would go on to become the love of her life and the man that walked with her through her greatest trial , 20 years of living with Alzheimer’s disease, every step of the way. They were married for 56 years.

Jo Ann was a wholly committed, loving and caring wife to Bobby, Sr and mother to Bobby, Jr. and Amy. Her support was a source of incredible strength in their lives. She worked for years as an agent with Bob and Bobby in their Shelter Insurance Agency. She was the head cheerlaeder for all of her childrens’ sports and school endeavors. She even co-coached Amy’s city league softball team to an incredible record of only one loss in six years.

Outside her family, her passion was music. She was a uniquely talented singer and musician. She began playing piano for her church when she was 13 years old. Later, as a member of the Central Baptist Church choir, she and two other members and long time friends, Leoda Croft and Donna Smith, who grew up in Walcot, AR just south of Stanford, formed The Trebletones. They were a gospel trio who later added Brenda Gibson and John Scott as musicians. The Trebletones’ seamless harmonies touched lives of countless people in the Northeast Arkansas area through their concerts and albums as well as funeral and wedding performances for almost 30 years. She also served for years in Central Baptist’s Special Ministries classes for special education students. One of her favorite community services was playing piano several times a month at local nursing homes where she would organize singalongs featuring older hymns and songs from the time period of the residents younger days.

Jo Ann’s seemingly limitless energy and joy for life was a blessing to all who were in her presence. She was a fun loving friend in good times and listener for even a complete stranger, when they needed a shoulder to cry on or someone to accompany them in prayer. She had a wonderful magnetism and an uncanny ability to personally connect with people from any background or any station in life and treated them equally with all the love in her heart.

She will be greatly missed and fondly remembered...

A celebration of Jo Ann’s life will held Saturday March 2 at the Emerson Funeral Home chapel. Bro. Rex Holt, formerly of Central Baptist Church and now pastoring at Mercy Chapel in Agoura Hills, Ca and Bro. Mike Martin of Central Baptist Church will be officiating the service. There will be stories, music and an open mic period for any who would like to share memories, just the way she would have loved it.

Service starts at 2 PM with visitation at 1 PM. The family would like you to consider Alzheimer’s disease research and The Humane Society for lasting memorials