Missing You Jo Jo

Dear Jo:  It was a sad day for us when we heard that you have left us.  You will be missed so much.  Thank you for all you gave to eveyone.

Keep well, you'll be keeping an eye on us and we will have you in our hearts, forever.

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I remember the first time I met you, then Mrs. F.  It was in the summer at your home for the wedding shower to celebrate my soon to
be sister-in-law.  I had brought a laundry basket of gagdets and wrote a little poem about the life Denise was soon to begin with my brother, Pete.  There were light bulbs, to light the way, elastics to know when to you need to stretch and lots of laughs inbetween!

You loved life itself.  With all the celebrations and rough spots, you were the 'lady'.  Those qualities you taught to your family quite well.  You enjoyed decorating and made a lovely home.  You wore so many hats; as daughter and sister, friend, wife and lover, mother and grandma and excelled at them all.  I do know that your grandchildren adored and enjoyed their time with you.  You even friended me on FB.

While you enjoyed your family and lent support to those around you, grass didn't grow under your feet.  If you weren't at home, the two of you were traveling around the world.  While I was baby(?) sitting for Denise & Pete's 20th anniveresary, the kids and I called Grandma Jo Jo and Grandpa Ray.  The both of you were still adjusting to the time zone as you  had just arrived back from Egypt!

If that wasn't the big adventure, the cruise a year later with your entire family in tow was. It was an amazing time for all involved! I know, the Missouri girls and I were going through picutres for half the night at my house. Ok it was only half of the 9000 or more pictures! We were out to dinner the next night, there were the girls flipping their napkins and guessing (in various accents) what we would have for dessert.  I don't think I was able to stop laughing.

Life is good to all of us; as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it "It is not length of life, but depth of life".  Jo Jo - you did just that, you lit the way wherever you went, you kept us stretching each day and enjoyed lots of laughs.  Keep well Friend.