Jo Ann was a strong-willed, resilient woman with a playfully sarcastic personality and quick wit, and she was astonishingly devoted as a wife and mother.
She was extraordinary in her capabilities and time efficiency — seven days a week, she worked the overnight hours delivering the daily newspaper to over four hundred residents, never missing a day in nearly fifteen years, regardless of illness, injury, or extreme weather. But even with such a laborious and energy-demanding job, she still made it her mission to be home every morning to see her children off to school, to maintain a clean and organized household during the day, and to have delicious home-cooked meals ready for dinner every night.
When Jo Ann eventually changed her employment to a typical nine-to-five job, it offered her more time for herself and her hobbies, and it allowed her to plan and orchestrate large family reunions and other gatherings over the next several years. She loved delving deep into and extensively documenting her family ancestry, visiting various antique shops during road trips, watching her favourite TV shows, such as Judge Judy, Survivor, Big Brother,0 Big Bang Theory and many others. She enjoyed online shopping, browsing Youtube and watching reaction videos on her favorite music artists, showcasing her skills in cross-stitching, and revealing her creativity when designing beautiful, uniquely themed tables and displays for family events such as birthdays, graduations, weddings, and holidays. Jo Ann was never one to want much of anything for herself, but in her last years, she made it known a few of her dearest wishes.
In October 2021, Jo Ann and her son took a road trip from Texas to the uppermost tip of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a week-long vacation of visiting her eldest daughter, sight-seeing, and exploring the various towns, waterfalls and landscapes. She described the Upper Peninsula as being "cold, but beautiful" and would have loved to visit again in warmer weather. Jo Ann also adored the musical group "Home Free", of which she followed on all of their social media sites and even had a subscription to their Patreon. In December 2022, her son took her to see Home Free perform live in concert at the Stafford Centre in Texas during their family Christmas tour.
Mom, you were ever self-sacrificing for us; an immovable, dependable presence in our lives; an unstoppable, unresting force whenever any of us were in need of you. You are so very much loved, more than you will ever know. Rest long and rest well. We will miss you dearly and we will never forget the years of love and memories you gave us.
Preceded in death by her parents, Robert Samuel Harris III and Dixie Joan Morris Harris (mother), and her older brother, Robert "Bobby" Samuel Harris IV, Jo Ann is survived by her husband of 38 years, Dennis; three children, Kristen, Mitchell, and Bethany; younger brother, John (Heather); nephews, Jacob (Jade) and Jerod; nieces, Brittany, Kayla, Chelsee, Kenzie (Tyler); mother-in-law, Patricia; brother-in-law, Greg (Becky); sister-in-law, Paula; her closest friends Deana and Stephanie; and many more adoring, loving extended family and friends.
A celebration of life for JoAnn will be held Thursday, March 14, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Cashner Funeral Home, 801 Teas Road, Conroe, TX 77303.
