Jo Ann Barnett

Jo Ann Barnett, age 81, was born January 27, 1936 in Florence, AZ and died July 24, 2017 in Wildomar, CA. Jo Ann was born to Myrintha Moody and Douglas Crump but spent most of her early childhood years living with her grandparents in El Centro, CA (“The Valley”). She loved her Grandma Goldie and Grandpa Walter and would reminisce often about how they would “spoil her rotten” while she was in their home. During this time, she also became very close to her Aunts, Marie and Violet, and formed a special bond with her Uncle Paul (aka Junior). While in the Valley, Jo Ann attended First Assembly of God of El Centro and loved going to Sunday school with other children learning about Jesus from her teacher Mrs. Coates and singing all the songs she would later sing to her five children and fourteen grandchildren. This was the beginning of her love affair with her Lord and with music, both of which would last her entire life.

Jo Ann moved with her mother to the greater Los Angeles area in the 1940’s living in different places throughout the city and attending several schools. She enjoyed reading books and writing poetry and in her late teens she loved going dancing with friends at the Aragon Ballroom in Santa Monica where she would dance the night away listening to big bands like Lawrence Welk and Les Brown. Jo Ann graduated from Inglewood High School in 1954 and soon after would have a special encounter with a “cute” sales trainee with the “nice smile” while working as a secretary at Atlas Stationers in Los Angeles that would change the course of her life forever.

On May 2, 2008 Jo Ann lost her best friend and husband, Ed Barnett. During their 49 years of marriage, Ed and Jo Ann managed to raise five “good” kids, run a business, travel the country together, remain very active in the local church and participated in numerous outreach programs. Even though they experienced difficult times over the years, their commitment to each other, their family and their God remained steadfast.

Jo Ann was preceded in death by her husband, Ed Barnett and her Mother, Myra Moody.

She is survived by a daughter, Kelly Ruth Bowers of Chillicothe, OH; sons, Stephen Bruce Barnett of Anaheim, CA., Timothy Lee Barnett of Laguna Niguel, CA., Edward Lawrence Barnett of Wildomar, CA. and Daniel Ray Barnett of Round Rock, TX. as well as fourteen grandchildren,  five great-grandchildren and many friends.

Jo Ann loved people and she never met a stranger. She had the ability to make you feel important and she was always available when you needed somebody to listen. She was a very special lady who loved her family and she will be missed.

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