Joanne C Purdue

Funeral services will be 3:00 p.m. Saturday, September 26, 2009 in Howe and Yockey Funeral Home, Shelbyville. Visitation from 1:30-3:00 p.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Tower Hill Cemetery, Tower Hill, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Shepherd Scholarship Fund at Northland International University, W10085 Pike Plains Road, Dunbar, WI, 54119 (Northland is a Christian University in Northern Wisconsin that trains young men and women to be dedicated servants for the Lord Jesus Christ. This fund was set up after the passing of JoAnne’s granddaughter, Christiana Shepherd, in 2003. JoAnne loved young people and loved to invest in their lives.).

JoAnne was born on February 4, 1929 in Decatur, Illinois, the daughter of Lester Cloyd and Josephine Christman Cannon. She attended Millikin University in Decatur and worked as a secretary for Lincoln Labs and Illinois Power Company both in Decatur. She later worked for Cook Christian Training School in Tempe, AZ. JoAnne enjoyed spending time with family and friends, laughing, smiling, playing the piano, shopping for clothes, reading Louis Lamour, watching her soaps and her yellow lab Annie. Her favorite color was purple. JoAnne was a member of the Bible Baptist Church in Phoenix. She married Clarence Orrin Purdue on August 29, 1993. He died on January 7, 2007.

Surviving are her sons, Douglas Shepherd and wife Tereasa of Mesa, AZ, Thomas Shepherd and wife Donna of Oakhurst, CA and Mark Alan Shepherd of Decatur, IL; sister, Nancy McDonald and husband C.E. of Tower Hill, IL; grandchildren, Amanda Lynn Shepherd, Juliana Renee Shepherd, Stephen Douglas Shepherd, Andrew Glenn Cannon Shepherd and Barbara Ann Wilson; and great grandson, Jared Wilson.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Clarence Purdue; granddaughter, Christiana Grace Shepherd on January 8, 2003 and great grandson, Jordan Anders.