Joanne K. Spurgeon
Lake Wawasee Resident
Joanne K. “Jo” Spurgeon, 94, passed away peacefully Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, at Westminster Village, where she had lived since 2012.
Living all her life in Muncie, Jo was born May 5, 1926, as the youngest child to Frank and Della (Dangler) Kiser. She attended Burris School, graduated high school in 1941 from Tudor Hall in Indianapolis and received a degree from Columbia College in Columbia, Mo., in 1943.
In December 1945, while working at the Kiser Jewelry store, she first met the man she would marry, William A. Spurgeon, also of Muncie, who had just returned from military service as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. After a brief courtship, they were married Sept. 26, 1946, in her parents’ home. Jo and Bill raised three children, Kay S. Young, Syracuse, Michael W. “Mike” Spurgeon and Thomas K. “Tom” Spurgeon, San Antonio, Texas.
Jo was a life-long member of High Street United Methodist Church, where she devoted thousands of hours volunteering in various areas for the church. She was a long-time member of Tri Kappa Sorority and the Monday Afternoon Club. Jo also drove Meals on Wheels for more than 30 years with her sister, Jeanne Hanley. They drove the first route on the first day and even after she was unable to drive due to loss of vision caused by macular degeneration, Jo assisted new drivers in delivering meals. A lifetime of service embodied her belief in giving back to the community and her church, something she passed on to all three of her children.
She was a devoted mother and friend to many. Jo particularly enjoyed playing bridge on a regular basis with close friends she had known since her school days. She also enjoyed nearly 50 years at the Lake Wawasee cottage she and Bill owned. Those days were filled with the joy of watching her children and grandchildren grow up at the lake.
Jo is survived by two children, Kay (James) Young and Tom (Carolyn) Spurgeon; six grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews, including Linda Hart of Muncie. She was preceded into heaven by her parents (1954 and 1984); husband, Bill (1985); son, Mike (2010); and sister, Jeanne (2012).
Services will be held Saturday, Jan. 9, at The Meeks Mortuary, Muncie, with Pastor MacKenzie Phillips from High Street United Methodist Church and the Rev. Phil Rogers from Heart to Heart Hospice officiating. Visitation with Jo’s family will be held one hour preceding the service.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Heart to Heart Hospice, 1385 N. Baldwin Ave., Marion, IN 46952; Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) of Muncie, 1209 W. Riggin Road, Muncie, IN 47303; or High Street United Methodist Church.
Jo’s family deeply appreciates the loving care she received from the heroes at Westminster Village and Heart to Heart Hospice during her final five months of life. They kept her comfortable and treated her with such grace and dignity. Their names are too numerous to mention, but they will never be forgotten in our hearts.