Joeanna Hancock

HANCOCK, Joeanna Kidwell, age 92 of Butler Township, passed away on Monday, July 22, 2024. She was born at home on June 10, 1932 in Versailles, Missouri to the late David and Pearl Kidwell. She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel Hancock and 2 brothers, Robert and David Kidwell. She is survived by 2 daughters, Karen (Keith) Furlong of Clayton, Ohio and Nida (Doug) Willson of Springfield, Missouri; 3 grandsons, Ethan (Elisabeth) Furlong, Collin (Amanda) Willson, & Paul (Stephanie) Willson; 5 great-grandchildren, Logan Furlong, Caleb, Brynlee, Amelia, & Reese Willson, and several nieces and nephews. 

Joeanna grew up on a farm in Versailles, Missouri helping with many of the farm chores & sometimes riding her horse to school. She finished school in 11 years, taking fifth and sixth grades in one year. She was active in 4-H and had the lead role in her senior class play, She Stoops to Conquer.

Her first job was working for Bud Walton in a Ben Franklin store in Versailles. One of her favorite tales was being asked to wrap a child’s wagon and make it not look like a wagon. She tried but the woman who bought it was not happy. She later worked as a cashier for Kroger in Versailles, Pittsburg, PA and Lima, OH. 

She married Sam Hancock on February 4, 1951. They moved to Pittsburgh and Lima before settling in Butler Township in 1962. After her daughters were born, she was a stay-at-home mom. She was a Girl Scout leader, active in PTA, & a member and Past-President of Green Acres Garden Club. She enjoyed gardening, cooking, canning and making jelly. She liked crafting and sewing, making Barbie clothes & formals for her daughters. She loved playing games, especially Boggle, Scrabble, Crazy Bridge & dominoes. For many years she played cards on Sunday afternoons with 2 dear neighbors. She loved her dogs, Fuzzy and Taffy, plus all the family dogs. 

After her daughters were grown, Joeanna worked in accounts payable at Shopsmith for several years. When her grandson Ethan was born she kept him when Karen was working.  When Ethan was 1 ½ he started calling her “Gabba” & she has been called that by family members ever since. 

Joeanna will be remembered for her kindness, her sense of humor, her love of family, friends, gardening, cooking and her delicious fruit pies. 

Visitation will be held Monday, July 29 from 12:30-1:30 pm at the Morton & Whetstone Funeral Home, 139 S. Dixie Dr., Vandalia with a graveside service immediately following visitation at Poplar Hill Cemetery. If so desired, contributions may be made to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, the American Heart Association, the National Kidney Foundation or Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton in Joeanna’s memory.

Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.mortonwhetstonefh.com