Joan Mathis entered into Heaven on Friday morning, September 20, 2019 at 12:10 am, her favorite time of day.

Joan was born on April 25, 1928 near Angola Kansas to Carl Conrad and Pearl Mae (Brooks) Olson.   Her brother Charles, was born in January of 1930.    They had an amazing relationship her entire life.  Joan's mother died in 1930 and she went to live with her paternal grandparents, Charles K and Nellie (Anderson) Olson-Ryan.   She was secure and confident and developed a love for music and scripture.  When she started school, she was reunited with dad, who was married to Rozelle Myers.   She graduated as Salutatorian in Montgomery County Schools of her 8th grade class in 1942.    She attended high school in Cherryvale for a short time before eloping with Ralph LeRoy "Lee" Edwards.  Their marriage was later annulled.  She began working as an operator for Southwestern Bell in 1944.

She married Vernon LeRoy Mathis on May 8, 1946 in Martinez California. They moved back to Kansas and eventually settled in Dearing, where she was active in Dearing Christian Church, Dearing Bees 4-H and other community activities.  In addition to working for the phone company, she and Vern also owned Mathis Auction Company for many years and she did all of the bookkeeping.  Through her work as a manager at the phone company, they lived in Coffeyville, Independence, Emporia as small "cord-board" offices closed.  In 1981, she was transferred to the Wichita office for centralized services.  They lived in Derby.

She retired in 1986 and they moved back to Coffeyville.  While in Coffeyville she was very active in Telephone Pioneers, Christian Women's Club, EHU, Matinee Musicale and other civic organizations and served as President for many of them.  She was active in Westside Christian Church and later Dearing Christian Church.  After Vern died in 1997, she married Jarold Timmerman on March 30, 1998.  He died 5 years later.

She wrote her autobiography, Loving and Living, in 2008 as a gift to her grandchildren.  The book has been inspirational and encouraging to many.  In 2005, she moved to Overland Park, where she was very active in Hillcrest Covenant Church.    When Covenant Place opened she moved into her brand new assisted living apartment and loved living there and serving as Ambassador to new residents.  She loved the staff and residents of what is now Westchester Village in Lenexa.

She was very proud of her three sons and their wives:  Jim and Louise Mathis of Overland Park, Kansas.   Chester and Linda Mathis of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Joe and Angie Mathis of Tulsa, Oklahoma.   She also loved her grandchildren, Rachael (and Scott) Rogers, Laura (and Troy) Packard, Jordan Mathis, Austin Mathis and Jon Mathis and her great-grandchildren, Briana Sayles, Julian Tugwell, Aiden Packard, Ethan Packard and Kinley Packard.

Visitation and Services

Visitation will be 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at Hillcrest Covenant Church,8801 Nall Ave, Prairie Village, KS 66207.  Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. at the church.

Memorial Contributions

The family suggests memorial contributions be made to the church.