JoAnn Simeur Surber

Mrs. JoAnn Simeur Surber passed away Friday, Septermber 2nd, 2011 at, Riverside Hospital, Kankakee, Illinois, due to complications resulting from a fall. A gathering of friends and family “Celebrating JoAnn’s life” will be from 10-11 AM Wednesday at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home in Bourbonnais with a funeral service at 11 AM officiated by Pastor Marvin Jones and Elder Jack Cavitt. Burial will be at the family plot, Mound Grove Memorial Gardens. A Remembrance lunch will be served at the Community of Christ Church, Bourbonnais, Illinois hosted by the Girls of ’56, the Gabettes Social Group and the Beta Sigma Phi Sorority following internment. Memorials may be made to the Kankakee Arthritis Foundation and/or Harbor House. JoAnn was born June 4th, 1937, at St. Mary’s Hospital, Kankakee, Illinois, daughter of the late Ernest and Josephine (Ashby) Simeur of Manteno. She graduated from Manteno High School in 1956 and was married to the late Billy Gene Surber January 12th, 1957. Mrs. Surber was a homemaker and held various part-time jobs. She once operated a women’s clothing boutique from her home called JoAnn’s Closet. Later in life, she operated her own boutique, JoAnn’s Armoir, at The Countryside Place in Manteno, Illinois. She was involved in many volunteer groups and organizations. Most recently, JoAnn was a member of ‘The Laureate Beta Omega Sorority, chapter of Beta Sigma Phi.’ In 2004 she was chosen to be on the National and International Beta Sigma Phi Queen’s Court. Other groups included Helpmates, a single’s group, serving as its Social Chairperson for two of her four membership years, the Kankakee Arthritis Style Show Board, the ‘56ers,’ the Red Hat ‘Chatter Hatters,’ and the ‘Gabettes Social Group.’ JoAnn Surber also served twenty-one years as Ticket Chairperson for the ‘Spice of Life Variety Show,’ and held a position on the Board of Directors with Harbor House for fifteen years. JoAnn was a member of the Junior Women’s Club for twenty years and served as their President twice, holding numerous other offices. Also, she had been a member and Board member of the Kankakee Women’s Club. Mrs. Surber appeared in the Bishop McNamara’s ‘Mad Caps,’ Junior Women Club ‘Follies’ and the ‘Spice of Life Variety Show.’ She belonged to ‘The Not-Quite-Ready-for-Peoria Players,’ a theatrical group. While her sons were young, JoAnn was Co-Chairperson, Concession, with the Little League and Junior Football League, Kankakee. While working at the Kankakee Credit Bureau, JoAnn was active in the Credit Women’s International Organization. Her favorite past time was shopping, plays and going out to dinner with friends and family. Mrs. Surber was of Christian faith. Surviving are one son, Richard Todd Surber, El Dorado, Arkansas and two daughters-in-law, Vickie Surber of Kankakee and Nina Surber of El Dorado, Arkansas; three grandsons, Josh and Billy Surber of Kankakee and Brandon (Surber) Birkenmeyer of Kankakee, Illinois; two brothers and sister-in-law, David Simeur of Fort Pierce, Florida and Ronald and Doris Simeur of Manteno; two Aunts, Mary (Ashby) Nichiporenko of Midthothian, Illinois, and Leona (Simeur) Johnston of Van Nuys, California; First Counsin(s), Marlene Simth Bedell of Momence, Karen Winter of Woodland Park, Colorado, Kirby, Billy and Barbara Ashby, Robert and Barbara Johnston of California; Special friends, Katie Buser, Pat Cavitt, Maureen Antognoli, Loretta Mason, Katie Funk, Kaye Jarvis, Roberta Renville, Barb Guertin, Sue Blake Beth Zacharlas, Vivian Maher, Nancy Kawanna, Rick Atkins, brother, David; Special nephew and niece, Brian and Denise Simeur, many more friends and several other nephews, nieces and cousins; former sisters-in-law, Charmaine (Simeur) Pullon of Hilton Head, South Carolina and Kathy New (Simeur) Searl of Fort Pierce, Florida. Mrs. Surber was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother, Thomas Allen Simeur of Kankakee and her first-borne son, Douglas Edward Surber of Kankakee, her father and mother-in-law, Edward and Phyllis Surber, four Uncles and one Aunt. Memorials to Kankakee Arthritis Foundation - www.arthritis.org Harbor House - www.harborhousedv.org/

JoAnn Simeur Surber

June 4, 1937 - September 2, 2011