JoAnn H. Kersting

JoAnn Kersting danced into heaven on April 14, 2013, at the Earl B. Hadlow Center for Caring, less than a week after she celebrated her 70th birthday with a big family dinner at her favorite restaurant. JoAnn entered this world in Camden, N.J., the second of eight children born to Ann and Walter Hunsberger. They moved to National Park, N.J., when she was a child, and where Jo¬¬Ann was a runner up in the Miss National Park Beauty Pageant as a teenager. During that time, she also danced on Dick Clark’s “American Bandstand” in Philadelphia. She graduated from Woodbury High School. Later, as JoAnn raised her five daughters, she lived in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Canada and California. She returned to Orange Park for good in the early 1990s. JoAnn loved hitting the dance floor at the Fleet Reserve Association Branch 91 and at Ronnie’s, where she will be missed by the Thursday night gang and where she and her longtime companion, Dennis Dudley, would dress up as Santa’s elves and pass out stuffed toys to children at Christmas time. When she wasn’t dancing or dining at Cracker Barrel (where she once received an award for being one of the restaurant and store’s best customers), JoAnn could be found hunting for bargains at yard sales and flea markets, collecting bells, tending to her many flowers and plants, or feeding peanuts to the squirrels and birds in her yard. She was one of local singer Wanda Dillaberry’s biggest fans, and a close friend too.

Besides her parents, JoAnn was predeceased by her husband, Glenn Kersting, granddaughter Ashleigh Hinton, sisters Sally Palmer and Judy Ponter, brothers Ralph Hunsberger, Dean Hunsberger and Wayne Hunsberger and brother-in-law Andy Anderson.

In addition to Dennis Dudley of Orange Park, JoAnn is survived by her daughters, Robin Wasko and Kelli Wasko, both of Jacksonville, Julie (John) Smith of Fleming Island, CJ (Matt) Haack of Green Cove Springs, and Billi (Kenny) West of Fleming Island; stepdaughter Jodi (Jason Rittenhouse) Kersting of Galveston, Texas; sister Dot Anderson of Middleburg; brother Robert (Blanche DiPaul) Hunsberger of Thorofare, N.J.; sisters-in-law Karen Hunsberger, Janet Hunsberger and Anne Hunsberger; grandchildren Michael Wasko, Logan Manners, Connor Smith, Brady Smith, Brittney Hinton, Kira Haack, Tristan Haack, Zach Bombard, Jacob Bombard and Trey West; stepgrandchildren Jenna Rittenhouse and Amanda Rittenhouse; as well as several nieces, nephews and friends.

Funeral services for JoAnn will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, April 18, 2013, at Hibernia Baptist Church, 7100 U.S. 17, Fleming Island, with graveside services immediately following at Holly Hill Funeral Home, 3601 Old Jennings Road, Middleburg. Visitation with JoAnn’s family will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at Holly Hill.

Holly Hill Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Post tributes at www.hollyhillfunerals.com