Jo Ann Kuphaldt

(interviewed by Mary Frontiera, approved by Jo Ann))

July 14, 2014

Jo Ann Kuphaldt was born on January 23, 1932, on a farm, in Pleasant Plain, Iowa. She was the oldest of four children-- and the only girl-- born to Salome Catherine Weiskircher and Adam Edmond Zaharris. She has one surviving younger brother, Jerry Zaharris, who lives in Gardnerville, Nevada.

They were depression days when Jo Ann was born and they were difficult times. A pig could sell for only 25 cents on their farm. So--- in 1938, when Jo Ann was 6 years old, her parents moved the family to the Los Angeles area, specifically to Southgate. The family moved later to Lynwood, a neighboring city, but Jo Ann stayed in the Southgate schools through high school. Her Dad was a truck driver at very low pay. He was then hired by GM at 98 cents/hour. He alternated between those two jobs during those depression years, eventually retiring from the truck driver job.

Jo Ann’s mother was a college graduate and had taught school before she married Jo Ann’s dad in Iowa. In those days, Jo Ann said, woman teachers were let go once they got married because it was assumed they were going to get pregnant and quit. During World War II, when the family was in southern California, her mother returned to teaching in the L.A. City School District. Those were times when they did not honor her Iowa teaching certificate but were issuing emergency wartime certificates to people such as her. When the war was over, she was allowed to remain teaching. She retired from the L.A. City School District. It was during this time that Jo Ann’s dad was doing the truck driving and the GM jobs.

As a child Jo Ann was a tomboy. Her parents were big sports fans. In order to get her brothers to play hopscotch and jacks with her, Jo Ann had to take an interest in sports and play football and baseball with them! She was an average student and not all that interested in school. However, because of her interest in sports, and due to the lack of available sports for girls to play in those days, Jo Ann joined the drill team in high school--- in order to be on the field at half time and to get into the football games free!

In high school Jo Ann was very active in the Junior Catholic Daughters, which was big in Los Angeles at that time. She was leader of her region and became leader of the whole diocese at one point. Teen-agers who were members would chalk up their volunteer hours in their respective parishes. Jo Ann spent many hours babysitting without pay for people who needed a sitter for any number of reasons.

As a senior in high school, and after high school graduation in 1950, Jo Ann worked at St. Francis Hospital in Lynwood as a nurse’s aid. Richard Kuphaldt worked in the kitchen under the supervision of Sister Consuela, a Franciscan sister. Jo Ann was a senior in high school when they met in that kitchen---and he was a student at Compton Junior College. They went together to his prom and he then went onward to U.C. Berkeley, majoring in Electrical Engineering, and they saw each other when they could. He graduated in June of 1952 and they married on June 28, 1952. Sister Consuela was responsible for 4 marriage “matches” there at St. Francis Hospital, Jo Ann and Rich being one of them!

Over the years Jo Ann became the mother of 10 children beginning with the birth of their first child, June Kuphaldt, in Albuquerque, New Mexico where Rich was hired by Sandia Corporation. They lived in Albuquerque for just 2 years before moving to San Diego, CA, where Rich, being in the Aerospace Industry, worked for Convair. Rita, Jim, Patty and Joseph Kuphaldt were all born in San Diego.

In 1964 Aerojet hired Rich, so the family moved to Covina, California, where Harold, Ken and Mary Kuphaldt were born. When Ken was a baby, and Aerojet had Rich working in the southern United States for several months, the entire family had the experience of living in Mississippi for a summer. They rented 2 apartments, side by side, the older kids sleeping in one apt. and the younger ones with Jo Ann and Rich in the other. It was during this Covina time that Aerojet had Rich commuting to Sacramento to train California State employees in a facet of his Aerojet job. It was because of the professional connections made at this time that they decided to move to the Sacramento area in 1968, and there to remain. Rich left private industry and was hired by the state of California.

They lived in a rental for a while in Carmichael, a suburb of Sacramento, during which time Mary was a toddler. They had bought property in Fair Oaks, California and also had bought a house at another location. They paid a mover to move the upstairs of the house as-is, to their property, and they renovated the downstairs to suit their growing family. It was while living in their Fair Oaks home that Ann and Bill were born, the 9th and 10th! And it was in this home that they finished raising their 10 kids.

For 11 years in a row their family vacations were spent renting a cabin at Bucks Lake and fishing. Camping, hiking, playing games, sports and running were their favorite things to do together. They were a very close family.

When Jo Ann’s husband Rich was advanced with Alzheimers disease, Jo Ann and Rich moved to another little home in Orangevale where they stayed until Rich had to be put in an Alzheimers care facility in 2007. By the time Rich died in 2009, Jo Ann and her son, Harold, bought a home in Fair Oaks, where she lived in a little cottage on the property.

Jo Ann’s interest in the Salvatorians began during the time when Frs. Bob Marsicek, Neil Seidl, Patrick Ritter, Al Wagner and Bob Wicht were in the broader Sacramento area, the first three being at Divine Savior parish itself, in Orangevale, California. She and Rich went to Mass daily and Norma Jennings gave Jo Ann a brochure about the Salvatorians. That sparked her interest, eventually leading her to become an Interested Person, going to meetings and various events. She did her commitment on May 31, 1998.

Jo Ann said she was drawn to the SDS family for two reasons: the friendliness she experienced; and the fact that they were “progressive”. She defined ‘progressive’ as “not being stuck in having to do things the same way all the time”. Within the Western region of the Lay SDS Jo Ann has served on the Board as Treasurer for many years. She has not served on national committees. But within Divine Savior parish she has been very active in numerous ministries: Eucharistic minister, Ministry to the Homebound, funeral receptions, Treasure Fest and on and on---wherever she felt she could fill a need. In her previous parish, St. Mel’s of Fair Oaks, she taught CCD.

Jo Ann is survived by her 10 children: June Kuphaldt of Sacramento, CA; Rita Burnop of Citrus Heights, CA; James Kuphaldt of Yuba City, CA: Patty Jones of Cedar Crest, NM: Joseph Kuphaldt of Fair Oaks, CA: Harold Kuphaldt of Fair Oaks, CA; Ken Kuphaldt of Fresno, CA; Mary D’Amour of Meadow Vista, CA; Ann Quevedo of Nipomo, CA; and Bill Kuphaldt of Carson City, NV.

Jo Ann has 24 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. She has been an extremely active and “present” grandmother, having gone to a huge number of their activities, both sports and otherwise. Her last 15 years of life were extremely active in general: going to the gym at 4 am daily; going on cruises; driving on long road trips; and participating in many and various parish ministries.

Jo Ann had a very warm and welcoming personality and was extremely generous with her time and talents, certainly manifesting the inclusivity that is one of the charisms of the Salvatorians. She loved people and touched many with her love. She will be missed.

Addendum by Mary Frontiera (5-11-20)

Before Jo Ann so happily and willingly went into an assisted living facility a couple of months ago, I asked her, “Do you want to revise your life story at all?” Her answer was a firm ‘no’. Jo Ann was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer about 2 weeks ago and died on Saturday, May 9, with all 10 of her children present, along with some of her grandkids singing to her.

On the following day, Mother’s Day, the immediate family had a brunch in the back yard during which they celebrated her life with a religious service prepared by family and with personal sharing along with gospel music. Her son referred to it as being done “Jo Ann style”.

No funeral plans can be made now due to the coronavirus. The family will plan on a bigger celebration at Divine Savior in Orangevale sometime in the future when planning becomes a possibility.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.MountVernonMemorial.com for the Kuphaldt family.

Due to the current COVID protocols for Sac/Placer/El Dorado County, guests

must wear protective masks at all times while inside the funeral home facility

and practice the recommended six foot social distancing.