Loading ...Aunt Joann
Oak Hill
If you head North out of Quenemo about a quarter mile past the city limits/Pine street, just past the Tyler’s old place. You’ll notice a fairly well kept rock road on your left that seems to ascend a hill and disappear into the countryside. Look closely and you’ll see a square stone post that conspicuously marks the entrance to Oak Hill. Take a left on that road and after another quarter mile the trees will open upon a majestic cemetary built on the slope of a modest hill. Here you’ll find a minor history of Quenemo and generally Osage County. You’ll find a good deal of Neills there, but only a few Allens. This Thursday afternoon another Allen will be added to the list, but its not just any Allen, its my Aunt Joann.
Aunt Joann was opinionated, forthright, politically incorrect, blunt, candid, hilarious, Loving and more. She treated my brother and I like we were her children. She readily admitted that Craig (my brother) was her favorite, but I suspect that I may have been her true favorite. She leaves behind her husband Lynn, her daughter Lacey, and these memories among others:
Who knows how old I was? I know I was very little. I was at Joann’s house. The house with the huge grandfather clock, the house with the noisy air vents, the house with the white ceramic cats. I saw a cigar and I wanted it. Would you give a cigar to a young child? Joann did. It tasted horrible and it made me sick to my stomach. Joann knew it would. She knew it would make me sick and she thought it would make me never want a cigar or cigarette ever again.
New Years 1987 was special because the Bangles made it special. Check that, it was Joann that made it special. We spent many New Years Eve at Joann’s house, they were always the party of the year. She would go out of her way to make them so.
For many years, Joann ran the only fireworks stand in town. She would travel to Missouri to buy the fireworks and return to sell them to the children in our town. I doubt she made much money off of them, of course that’s not why she did it. She did it because she was Joann, the fireworks lady, she did it because the kids needed something to do as the Summer break dragged on. We would buy various fireworks from her for our yearly display. Of course, she was invited, and, of course, she would bring all her leftover fireworks to add to our display.
These memories, while dear to me, cannot convey to you what Joann meant to me. Just understand this. Joann is gone and she will be sorely missed, but I know I will see her again someday. Until then, goodbye Joann, we Love You.
Jared is a Cordon Bleu trained chef and a lover of food.
Beth holds a Bachelor's degree in painting and needs to write something else here.
Who will keep me from getting tossed into jail with the Doty’s ? She alway said she would bail me out of anything , unless I got tossed into jail with the Doty’s. She loved use all and I will miss all the Quenemo gossip sessions with her.