Reverend Jo Anne (Emerson) Johnson, daughter of Ralph Waldo and Rhoda Maxine (Deweese) Emerson, was born on February 1, 1931 in Lawrence, Kansas. She peacefully entered into eternal rest on Thursday morning, November 6, 2014 at her home in Shenandoah, Iowa at the age of 83.

Growing up, Jo Anne and her family never spent a long time in any one place. Her parents were ministers, who held many revival meetings all over the United States, Canada and Mexico, known as the Emerson Evangelistic Party. Throughout her formidable years she attended 54 schools before graduating from Skidmore High School with the Class of 1948 in Skidmore, Missouri. Jo Anne was able to graduate in three years by attending Maryville College, Maryville, MO, for a summer which allowed her to skip her junior year.

Jo Anne's first work experience was at Hallie Reynolds Drug Store in Skidmore. From 1948 to 1949, she worked at F. W. Woolworth's in Maryville before moving to Shenandoah following her marriage to Melburn Duard Johnson on March 7, 1949. They were married in Skidmore and following their marriage resided in Red Oak, IA for three weeks before finding their "place" in Shenandoah, where they have resided for over 65 years.
In Shenandoah, Jo Anne worked for F. W. Woolworth and at Place's Dime Store. She also worked at Bonnie's Caf and the Nishna Valley Caf Truck Stop. She spent 15 years working for Shenandoah Agri Services before going to Ag Pro where she worked for seven years. At this time, Jo Anne was called into the ministry full time.

Jo Anne's faith was always very important to her. In 1958, she helped start the Mission Church at Sidney, IA (which is now the Gathering Place) and in 1968 she helped form the Faith Christian Fellowship Church in Shenandoah. She was ordained as a minister at Faith Christian Fellowship by Buddy Harris and was later ordained into International Pentecostal Holiness in Kansas. Jo Anne eventually would start her own church in Shenandoah for people who did not feel comfortable in regular churches.

Jo Anne was very proud of the work she did in prison ministry over the years. Many years were spent helping the inmates at the Page County Jail and over 10 years of doing 5th Steps at the Clarinda Correctional Facility on a weekly basis. For her work, Jo Anne was nominated by the prison and was awarded the Governor's Award in Council Bluffs by Governor Terry Branstad during his first term in office for her "Outstanding Service to the State of Iowa". She helped work with many drug addicts and reached out to those with problems right up until she became too ill with cancer and could no longer minister.

Preceding Jo Anne in death were her parents; grandparents, Rev. F. A. and Clara Emerson, Elmer and Mary Edna Deweese and Pearl Emerson. Survivors include her loving husband of 65 years, Melburn D. "Mick" Johnson of the home; son, Keith Johnson and his wife Lynette of Shenandoah, IA; four grandchildren, Brandi Lee Perdew and husband Todd of Manilla, IA, Alyssa June Haggerty and husband Conor of St. Paul, MN, and Cody Johnson and Keegan Johnson both of Shenandoah, IA; three great grandsons, Cooper and Carson Perdew of Manilla, IA and Emerson Patrick Haggerty of St. Paul, MN; two sisters, Pauline Cobb of Longview, Texas and Mary Pearl Olinger and husband Paul of Byers, OK., brother Roger Gorman and wife Mary Ruth of Oklahoma City, OK. other relatives and many friends.

Burial will be in Shenandoah's Rose Hill Cemetery. A memorial is being established in Jo Anne's name.