Jo Ann Wilson's Obituary
Jo Ann Wilson, 87, of Concord, North Carolina, went to be with our Lord on Thursday, July 4, 2019.
Jo Ann was the only child of Homer T. Ballard and Frances Marie Gray and was born on June 11, 1932 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She was raised by her Mother and Stepfather Hugh W. Bell, Sr. and a very loving Grandmother, Nora Ballard of Cadiz, Kentucky. She lived in Louisville, Kentucky until 1942 when the family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. She graduated from Knoxville Central High School, attended Carson Newman College and graduated from Knoxville Business College. She was working for Rust Engineering Company in Oak Ridge, Tennessee when she met her husband, Arthur Wilson and they were wed in 1955. After marriage, the couple settled in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1965 her husband was transferred to Charlotte, North Carolina where they lived for 30 years before moving to Concord, North Carolina.
Jo Ann was an avid golfer along with her husband. Her greatest claim to fame was that she had two hole-in-ones. She was very involved in her church, Hopewell Presbyterian in Huntersville, North Carolina. Jo Ann served on several committees, was Circle Chairman, served as Moderator of the Women of the Church and in 2002, was honored with the Honorary Life Membership of Presbyterian Women. She had a lot of interest in the Bazaar Group and pieced many quilts to be auctioned at their yearly bazaar.
After her husband retired, they traveled extensively, missing only three of the states. During their travels, they collected antique clocks, assembling quite a collection. Jo Ann and her husband loved sports of all kinds, particularly basketball. Art was a graduate from the University of Kentucky which really made it interesting with their Carolina friends. Jo Ann dearly loved pets and in her lifetime had five dogs and two cats, all of which were very spoiled.
Jo Ann was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Arthur Wilson, her Mother, Frances Marie Gray Bell, her Father, Homer T. Ballard, and her Stepfather, Hugh W. Bell, Sr.
Jo Ann is survived by her half-bothers Bill and Tom Ballard, her stepsister Elizabeth Bell Rich, and her step-nephew Colonel Larry Bell and his wife Sandy. She is also survived by her second cousins Beth Moss Harvey and her husband Wayne and Chip Moss and his wife Janie. In addition, Jo Ann is survived by lots of friends and neighbors who helped her in life since the death of her husband, especially Linda Horde and Linda Kelley both of Concord.
Graveside Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 8, 2019 at Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Huntersville, North Carolina.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Hopewell Presbyterian Church, 10500 Beatties Ford Road, Huntersvile, NC 28078.
James Funeral Home is assisting the family, www.jamesfuneralhomelkn.com.
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