Jo Nell Pappin

Heaven gained an angel this week- our Mom Jo Nell, passed away the morning of 4-8 after suffering a bad fall on Monday 3-12. She was the quintessential Mom and Grandma loving all her kids and grandkids with every fiber of her being.

Mom and Dad (Alex Pappin) married in 1956. Mom had 2 kids from her first marriage- Jim and Linda. Dad took them and raised them as his own, followed by Matt, Kari, and me. Growing up she was firm but loving. A stay at home Mom we always had a hot dinner at night all sitting around the table. She always made sure we had what we needed and usually what we wanted yet without spoiling us.

After Dad had a heart attack in 1976 and could no longer work, Mom went to work to help support us. As we grew up and started having our own kids she became Grandma. She loves her granddaughters.

In 1998 she and Dad moved to Las Vegas to live near Kari and me. It was so good having them here. Dad passed in 2001. Mom lived with Mike and me briefly while trying to sell their home and get to this side of town. She lived in a couple different places until she lost her eyesight and moved in with Kari and Greg in October 2013.

2017 was a rough year for Mom. Started Christmas morning 2016 with a broken foot followed by shingles later that summer and a blood transfusion in September. She started off good and healthy this year but on 3-12 took a bad fall. It proved to be more than her 88 year old body and mind could take on.

She is survived by her children Matt Pappin, Kari Niemi, and Anna Johnson and granddaughters Sarah Pappin, Mary Abdalwahab, Melissa Butler, Nicole Niemi, Jessica Pappin, Maureen Pappin, and Katie Johnson. She is survived also by her son-in-law Greg Niemi and her daughters-in -law Kathy Bullington and Joan Pappin.

We are all having a hard time imagining life without Mom or her sitting in the kitchen having a cigarette and enjoying the family, or sitting in her TV room watching SVU or Wheel of Fortune with one of the girls. Even the dogs cannot understand what has happened. Here’s to you Mom and Dad until we meet again in heaven! We love you so much! A chunk of our hearts is missing tonight….