Jo Ann Lawrence of Edmond, Oklahoma, passed away September 20, 2024. She was born in Oregon County, Missouri, February 26, 1933 to Columbus “Roy” and Sallie (Gibson) Hufstedler. On April 12, 1964, she married Claude Lawrence at West Plains, Missouri, where they resided on his farm until his death in 2012.
Jo Ann grew up on the Eleven Point River at Riverton, Missouri, where her parents operated a country store, canoe rental, and guide service. She loved to tell stories of activities like fishing on the river with her siblings. One most noted activity was catching live frogs (frogging) with her bare hands while her brother Don shined a bright light-never once catching a cottonmouth that often inhabited the river. Jo Ann went to an elementary school near Riverton, graduated from high school at Alton, Missouri, in 1950, and then attended Mo-Ark College in West Plains, where she was the school queen one year. Before her marriage she worked at First National Bank in West Plains, as a proof machine operator.
In 1964, she married Claude, her husband of almost 48 years. She and Claude’s daughter used to joke that she married Claude’s kids too, especially Vickie who was almost four. She often claimed she married Claude so that she could continue her life outdoors. She was looking for someone to accompany her fishing and hunting. They enjoyed many, many years of this where she often “bested” him with large mounts of the many bucks she killed. Early in the marriage, she liked to hunt on the farm of the kids’ grandfather. He seemed to give her preferential treatment of the best deer stands. She, in turn, fixed him many wonderful meals, and made welcome him and all of Claude’s first wife’s family. Her good nature, Christian attitude, and warm hospitality, as well as their acceptance, made them all life-long friends and “family.”
She was fondly known by Claude’s grandchildren as Grandma, Nannie, and Annie. They loved to spend time on the farm with her gathering eggs at the hen house, playing with the six-toed barn cats, but most of all eating her delicious goodies from her kitchen. Many would argue that those goodies were her soupy potatoes, her deer jerky, fried turkey breast, Christmas peanut brittle, or her cornbread, but most of all, it would probably be her sugar cookies that would win the vote.
She took her last big adventure on her eightieth birthday. On that day, she moved from Missouri to Oklahoma where she lived next door to her daughter Vickie and husband Jeff, and son Jesse, who also moved to Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City.
Jo Ann quickly joined a southern Baptist church near her home where she made friends with a neighbor that was her age, who took her to every activity for senior adults. All the while, she continued to spend much time with her grandson Jesse, fostering his love of music and especially of the old hymns, and rooting for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Unfortunately, after a few years she broke both of her hips and lived her final six years in an assisted living home. In most cases, she made friends with the staff and made the best of her circumstances. She made an endearing bond with one of the caregivers, who gave an amazing prayer upon her deathbed. Jo Ann continued to be a witness for the Lord during her stay, with one employee asking for a Billy Graham book that the other staff had been passing around.
Jo Ann peacefully died in the afternoon of September 20, 2024, in her little apartment at the age of 91 years. She was surrounded by members of her biological family and of her family that she chose sixty years ago. Her kind, caring, and loving nature will be greatly missed.
She is survived by Claude’s children, and grandchildren. They include Jim (Dianne) Lawrence, son Jeff (Sandy) all of Couch, Missouri; Eddie (Vickie) Lawrence, daughter Nita Cawvey, all of West Plains, daughter Nancy (Bob) Foulke of Cassville, Missouri, son Jerrod Lawrence of West Plains, and daughter Mariah (Jason) Hayes also of West Plains; Vickie (Jeff) Hadley and son Jesse all of Edmond, Oklahoma; and daughter-in-law Mary Ann Lawrence and son Jayson (Sherri) all of West Plains. She is survived by many great and great-great grandchildren, as well.
She is also survived by her sister Susie Van Camp, her brother Joe Hufstedler (Shirley), and her sister-in-law Marianne Hufstedler all of the Riverton/Alton, Missouri area. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews, for which she had a particular fondness.
She was preceded in death by her husband Claude, her parents, a son Bob Lawrence, her brother Don Hufstedler, a daughter-in-law Ann Lawrence, a grandson-in-law, Scott Cawvey, an infant grandson, Bobby Joe Lawrence, and an infant great-granddaughter Monte Lawrence.
A private memorial service for her family was held on September 25, 2024, at Affordable Cremation in Oklahoma City.
Her ashes will be interred in Oak Lawn Cemetery in West Plains, Missouri, near Claude and other members of the Lawrence family. A graveside service will be held on October 27, 2024 at 2:00 p.m., with Pastor Jake Lawrence officiating. The arrangements will be under the direction of Carter Funeral Home, Inc., West Plains.
