1 file added to the album Grandma, Mom, Aunts and Daughters

July 22, 2015
Dear Jo,
Big Sister…Happy Birthday…Chocolate & Cheers…Wish you were heres….
How can it be? Time goes too fast…Got me thinking of the past….
…Tiny Baby without a mother in a land far away
…Tiny Survivor riding the waves in the Queen Mary scurrying home
When I first knew you, you were in high school. High Drama every day. Determined, headstrong, stubborn individual. Practicing French horn in her marching band uniform – frustrated, determined, red in the face mad!
Training Punch, our collie shepherd dog, frustrated, determined, red in the face mad!
Coming home in your dungarees from her job at the barn….Tired
I loved to play in your collections when you weren’t home… Beautiful trading cards, comic books, marbles and my favorite – The Paper Dolls. You were an amazing artist, fashioning whole wardrobes of clothes for those dolls. Party dresses, Sunday dresses, pants…they were beautiful! 
Then the books…..ALL the Nancy Drew and more. Always a reader…Brilliant in school…..off to Cornell. 
Off to Malaysia….Miss Adventure! 
Produced 3 beautiful Amazing Children. 
Your joy was your children. They always came first and you protected them like a mother lioness. Now all amazing adults – WELL DONE JO!
You loved animals... All animals... Always fed the birds…. Always a cat on your lap, a dog to pet. 
Sharp Mind! Twinkle in your eye... Always the winner in Trivial Pursuits!
Did I mention you were a great wildlife artist too? I would always ask you to “draw me a panda” or a horse or whatever and you would. I wish I had kept those…..
Our favorite things to do together were the zoo or the art museum but mostly the zoo! You loved animals, I really think that you talked to them and I am sure they talked back!
A life too short….Broken body…no complaints…
We will miss you this I know….you made my life happier…..Thank you Jo.
Love, Kathy

My five lines of Josephine Yeoh (part II)

Line Four - Craft Fairs and Arts Festivals
Jo loved tchotchkes. In all fairness, before I met Jo I had never heard of this
term, and for the first year of my life with I Jen insisted her family had invented
the word. So naturally, in humility I would like to share a quote from the urban
dictionary’s definition of tchotchke:
Tchotchke can be pretty, sentimental, or even
occasionally useful though it usually breaks easily if
useful. If you are having trouble identifying a Tchochke
just look around your house or someone else’s and
whatever you see that a burglar wouldn’t steal is
probably a Tchotchke.
Twenty odd years later, I must point out this definition is not fair to the concept.
While possibly lacking in value to others, Tchotchkes are what makes a persons
home distinctly theirs. That is what Jo loved to find at craft shows and art
festivals. Those items that were custom made by an artist and represented some
aspect of herself - whether in color, texture, form or content. She loved to find
herself in craft, and through display share herself with others.

Line Five - Chicken Chests and Chez
I’m not sure when I was first introduced to this delicacy ... chicken broiled with
some creamy sauce and bacon, served with Pillsbury breadsticks (the ones from
the tube that makes that scary “pop” sound when opening no matter how
prepared you are). While development of this culinary masterpiece may have
been the by-product of trying to raise three teens on a single income, for me it is
a symbol of how Jo accepted others as her own. After commenting that I
enjoyed the dish, in the future it was presented with great flourish at every
important “David event” such as birthdays and visits from college. In this manner
I, like many others, were accepted and welcomed into her family without
prejudice ... making a seamless transition to the special home she provided.

My five lines of Josephine Yeoh:
Traverse City
Doonesbury and Mutts
Singing in the Rain
Craft Fairs and Arts Festivals
Chicken Chests and Chez

Today I hope Jo is enjoying another form of travel. Hopefully with less disturbing
politics, and plenty of mutts and other friendly animals to scritch. A journey with plenty
of of craft fairs and art festivals to attend. With little rain and much singing. Most of all, I
hope she has moved on to find her next home, and may it be as welcoming as the one
she created for us.

My five lines of Josephine Yeoh (Part I)

For the next new minutes I would like to define poetry as a combination of words or
phrases that evoke memories or symbolize aspects of a person, place or thing.
Complex lyrical patterns and rhymes are not required - just words as symbols and
representations.

Line One - Traverse City
Jo was constantly up for travel, especially with family and friends. While many of
us have preferred destinations, Jo seemed to find enjoyment in any location: the
complexity and sounds of a big city; the quietness of a nature preserve; the cool
(and warm) sands of the beach. I remember stopping by a visitor center in New
York with Jen and collecting those little travel pamphlets for every “point of
interest” in the state .. and the glee with which Jen presented them to Jo on our
return. I recall the hours of talk about trips, of places visited and the who/why/
where/when of each. The pamphlets would be discussed, and would bring
forward the potential for future travel, which at times was more exciting for Jo
than travel itself. For me Traverse City was not simply a location Jo talked about,
but an expression of her life - an area, town, city, metropolis - a megapolis of
endless journeys.

Line Two - Doonesbury and Mutts
The comics we read often reflect who we are and our interests. Nowhere have I
found that to be more the case than for Jo. As a traditionally ignorant teenager, I
remember thinking her reading about and commentary on politics to be slightly
obsessive. As I got older, I began to realize she was like her favorite political
cartoon artist Garry Trudeau ... she enjoyed not just an understanding of the
world and it’s politics, but an eye for critiquing and seeing the humor in events
around her. It was about learning, observation and interpretation. Three things
valued highly in her chosen profession of librarian.
Her other favorite comic was Mutts. I believed she enjoyed the simplicity of the
humor, and the way it approached the pet’s side in a relationship. Jo loved her
pets and through Mutts could imagine the pet’s emotions and opinions. Her love
of animals extended beyond just her pets, but others’ as well. Jo disliked any
form of animal abuse, and felt people needed to pay more attention to how their
actions impacted the world and creatures around them.

Line Three - Singing in the Rain
Jo was a avid fan of the movies. She would go to movies with family and friends,
or lacking that she would re-watch old movies on AMC. If she wasn’t watching
movies, she was watching shows about them: Sneak Previews and later At the
Movies. In fact, I think one of her saddest moments may have been the
cancellation of “At the movies” in 1990 followed by Gene Siskel passing in 1999.
No worries Jo ... if Siskel and Ebert could be here, I’m sure they would give you
“two thumbs up”!

Jo was always such a kind hostess when she allowed teenagers (such as I was back then) to invade her home for sleepovers, study sessions, and giggle sessions that were supposed to be study sessions.  Always smiling, she took a sincere interest in our young opinions and aspirations, and she took kind care of us while still allowing us our teenage social space.  Hers was an inviting home!

Fond Memories,
Kathy (Horn) Fey

1 file added to the album Grandma, Mom, me and Grace

Ann Magnuson & John Bertram purchased the The Acquaintance for the family of Josephine S. Yeoh.

I did not get to see my cousin Jo as often as I would've liked but shall always treasure my memories of her, especially at the family reunions my father organized in the mountains of West Virginia!

My enduring memory shall always be of her smile. It radiates from the photos posted here and I remember well my first experience of it. It was from a framed photo that my Grandma Magnuson kept on the dresser in Morgantown, West Virginia. In that photo was an adorable young girl, perhaps 11, with her arm in a sling and looking up at the camera, her face beaming with an undeniable love for life. 

I was always intrigued by the photo of this girl and soon learned she was the daughter of my Uncle John, the really smart man with the crew cut who always wore a suit with a bow tie who married my Aunt Helen. 

Jo instantly became a Magnuson, as well as a White, and it was an honor to have her part of our family. 

When I finally met her- now a grown up with a small children - I was greeted by that same joyful smile. I always loved Jo and am so sad to hear of her passing. 

My husband John Bertram and I send all the Whites and Yeohs our deepest condolences and much love from California. 

Rest in Peace Jo. And say Hi to Grandma!

Cousin Ann Magnuson

I first met Jo when our children were in school at Cranbook Elementary.   She always had a great smile on her face and made everyone feel so special. Jo raised 3 great children on her own and I am honored to hae know her. I knwo she will be grately missed by her family and friends. 

Roberta Hamaper and family.

Words cannot express how proud I am to be Jo Yeoh’s daughter. It is easy to describe the
strong courageous woman she was by listing her big accomplishments: Surviving polio, raising
three kids on her own and putting them through college, earning a master’s degree and owning
her own home when not many women had achieved such things, let alone on their own with
three small children in tow.
But life is made up of little moments, and the stories we make of them. And Mom had plenty
of those. From driving us to Cleveland on the weekends to visit Grandma and Grandpa and
stopping to get ham and bean soup every time, to looking for blue sea glass whenever we made it
to a beach to enjoy the ocean she loved, to the delight she took in the multiple generations of
cardinals that lived in the trees surrounding her home, the trees she had planted when we
moved in, so that we would have shade and beauty surrounding us.
Mom was not really a big gardener (though all her children grew up to be), but she loved the
outdoors. Thunderstorms, regular visits to any park, feeding the birds and the ducks and geese
at the reservoir, her lifelong support of wildlife and the environment. She passed that
love on to all of her children. We are all happy at the park.
Mom also shared her love of animals. Having worked towards becoming a large animal
veterinarian, even working for a summer on a dairy farm, she suffered one of her rare defeats
when she could not distinguish a rooster from a hen. But not to be thwarted, Mom spent the rest
of her life with pets of every description: Webster the flamepoint himalayan cat, Kelly Belly the
calico, Mopsy the terrier mutt, Sally the border collie, Penny and Eartha Kitty. Between these
and the birds she loved, Mom surrounded herself with furry love, a tradition her children
happily continue.
And Mom’s caring did not stop at animals. She earned her RN, and later her master’s in
library science, and put both degrees to work helping people. In her work at Riverside Hospital’s
Medical Library, she did pioneering work in patient education, allowing people to feel
empowered when confronting illness. She treated everyone she met with open kindness and
compassion, resulting in a wide network of friends and associates.
One of the reasons Mom made friends so easily was that she was interested in their stories.
One of the aides assisting with her care was from Haiti, so mom practiced French with her to
make her feel at home, and keep her own language skills sharp. Language, reading and history
were all very important to Mom. People put what they know into books, and mom
surrounded herself and her family with them. I still remember long
afternoons at the local public library, where Mom could get a quiet moment, and we could
pursue whatever dreams and adventures we wished to among the pages.
And that curiosity and love of adventure were with Mom her whole life. Some of her happiest
times were traveling, learning new things and meeting new people. She travelled to Hawaii, the
Carolinas, Florida, and all over the United States. She spent a summer in the Soviet Union,
married and lived in Malaysia for nine years, visited Japan and Australia, and had a long list of
places still to go. And wherever she went, she would bring back reminders of the people and the
culture there to reconnect with at home.
That love of culture was reflected in her love of art. There was never a museum or art
fair that was not the first on the list to visit. Even when her kids demanded a trip to the
aquarium, the art museum was the second stop. Her favorite artists, Prendergast, Monet, Chinese landscape painters, all created beautiful worlds of light and color, inhabited with people enjoying everyday life. Mom was a talented artist in her own right, though she
chose to keep her work in the family. Often her subjects were the animals she loved.
So how do you sum up such a life?
Miss you Mom. Love you. Thank you.

I have fond memories of my friendship with Jo when we lived in Malaysia back in the 60's.
Jo was highly intelligent and gifted in languages. I was impressed when she had a conversation in Hokkien with my late Chinese mother-in-law. From memory, Jo was also  fluent in Russian.
I have two very precious gifts from Jo; a Chinese bronze wine vessel and a stone seal carved by an Eskimo, both given to me many years ago.
Barney and I and our children, Christine, Philip, Jonathan and Alexander offer our sincere condolences to all of Jo's nearest and dearest.
Vale Jo.
            Joy   ( Melbourne Australia)

Mel, TJ and Wondy purchased the Fireside Basket - Exotic for the family of Josephine S. Yeoh.

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
Do not be anxious, for I am your God.
I will fortify you, yes, I will help you,
I will really hold on to you with my right hand of righteousness."
Isaiah 41:10

Fireside Basket - Seasonal Garden was purchased for the family of Josephine S. Yeoh.

To Jo Yeoh's Family: I first met Jo when I moved to Columbus, taking a job at Mount Carmel Health Sciences Library.  Jo was considered a leader in the hospital library community. She was creative and a innovative. At the time, Riverside was the only library in town that had a library for patients. 

Please accept my condolences and sympathy on your loss.

Fern Cheek
OSU Health Sciences Library

1 file added to the album It's all about Family

Dr. Riemenschneider & Riverside Urology Staff purchased the Blooming Basket for the family of Josephine S. Yeoh.

Jo Yeoh, Library Director,
In Retrospect by Rose Ann Spaith
Jo Yeoh was a wonderful boss.  She did what we told her to do.  She agreed to delicious pot luck parties.  When redecorating, she chose the most comfortable chairs after we tested them.  She bought books we suggested, even if they were not medical books.  
     On her own , she acquired the first computer [Apple II+] possessed by Riverside Methodist Hospital. She knew each person in Housekeeping by name, as well as everyone else who worked in  the hospital.  She created an atmosphere in which we never had to say  NO   to anyone who walked through the library doors in search of medical information.  Before the era of cell phones, she made email available to patients and their families.  She got us our own private john.  She went on rounds and had the physician’s MEDLINE searches ready before they thought to ask.  
     Jo Yeoh did not need us to tell her what to do.  She was a creative, innovative, caring person and librarian on her own.

To Members of Jo's Family--
My warmest condolences to all of you.  Jo holds a special place in my heart.  I am also a librarian and I met Jo when I moved to Columbus 20+ years ago. She was very well known for her hard work and successful programs developed and offered at the Riverside Medical Library.  As a young professional, just getting started, members of the Columbus library community suggested that I meet her. Jo ended up serving as one of my mentors and we became friends. I have fond memories of working (and laughing) with her on organizational committees. What a terrific lady.  My thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

Sincerely,
Lynda Hartel

Lit a candle in memory of Josephine S. Yeoh

Thank you for visiting Mom's page. We miss her very much and appreciate any thoughts or photos  that you leave here.

Stacy

OBITUARY

Josephine S. Yeoh

Passed away on 14 JULY, 2015

Schoedinger Midtown

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services