Mary Joan House

Mary Joan House, 80 currently of Searcy, formerly of Jonesboro, was born April 23 1940 at Marked Tree to Lester and Gertrude Koster.  Moved to Jonesboro in the mid-1940s.  Attended Jonesboro schools and graduated in the Class of 1958! Started work at General Electric at the age of 18 and retired in 1995, after 36 years of service.  On June 15, 1961, she married Tony House and they celebrated 59 great years together in 2020.  She was preceded in death by her parents, and one brother, Gary Wayne “Red” Koster.

Joan and Tony got to enjoy trips to New York, Cozumel, Mexico; Alaska, Colorado and Florida . . . but especially enjoyed going to Jackson, Tennessee, where Tony bought her favorite car, the yellow Bug!! Joan started her walk with the Lord at the age of 12 when she received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost at a brush arbor meeting and was baptized in Jesus Name a short time later.  She was a faithful God-fearing Christian, wife and a wonderful mother and sister.  She loved teaching Sunday School and being a youth leader at church.  She loved riding the golf cart and didn’t care who was driving.  When the Lone Ranger came on, she perked up, and clapped her hands.  She was also a tomboy growing up, making a neighbor boy eat mud pies against his will. She was also a good basketball player.  She would always beat the guys at basketball and that tells you she was not a girly-girl.  The one thing that will always stay in our minds, Joan always said, “Pam can always do anything.”  She loved her family to the end of her days.

Survivors include her husband, Tony M. House, of the home; sons, Bruce D. House and wife Pam of Searcy; Brian L. House and wife Christy of Bay; brothers, Jerry Koster and Rusty Koster; sister, Carolyn “KK” Bryant Shirley all of Jonesboro; three grandchildren.  Bridget House of Navarre, Florida; Kaleb and Kadence House of Bay; and her two fur-babies.

Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, September 2, 2020, at Emerson Memorial Chapel with Danny Whitley officiating and Emerson Funeral Home in charge.  Burial will follow at Nettleton Cemetery with Sam Canter, Bruce House, Rusty Koster, Scotty Bryant, Jerry Thisse, and Keith Shelton serving as pallbearers.  Honorary pallbearers are Paul Waddell, Eddie Lions and Jerry Koster.  Visitation will be from 1:00 until service time at Emerson.

For lasting memorials, please consider St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tennessee, 38105. To sign an online guestbook, go to emersonfuneralhome.com.