JoAnn Stumpff, 92, of Springfield, Virginia, passed away July 26, 2020 in her home surrounded by her children and Bob. Visitation will be held at 5:00 pm Thur., Aug. 6, 2020 at Bruce Funeral Home, Gardner, Kansas (913) 856-7111 with the Rosary at 7:00 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Fri., Aug. 7, 2020 at 11:00 am at Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 555 W. Main, Gardner, Kansas. Burial follows at St. Columbia Catholic Cemetery, Gardner, Kansas. JoAnn believed that “Flowers are for the living”, so in lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Capital Caring Hospice, Philanthropy Department, 3180 Fairview Park Dr., Suite 500, Falls Church, VA 22042 or www.capitalcaring.org. Hospice, or the local charity of your choice.
JoAnn Hedrick Stumpff was born on a farm near Gardner, Kansas on August 15, 1927 to William and Latona Hedrick. From the time she was a young girl, she helped with the work on the farm from milking cows, hauling water, and all that needed to be done with her daily farm chores. She credited her good health throughout her life due to her hard work as a farmer’s daughter.
JoAnn enjoyed being active in all that she did. When time allowed, she enjoyed the adventure of exploring the wagon ruts of the Santa Fe Trail which crossed the Hedrick family’s land. She cherished seeing history and imagining the pioneers that crossed their land a century ago. She also enjoyed hunting arrow heads on their farm and thinking about the people that had made these tools so many years before. As an elementary student she rode her horse to and from school along with a neighboring friend. JoAnn moved to town in High School to live with and care for her grandmother. Her interest in nursing was developed as she also worked at the Reece Hospital in Gardner, KS. After graduating from Gardner High School in 1946 she attended nurses training at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. JoAnn also helped fund her education working for a high-end department store modeling their clothes.
JoAnn graduated with her registered nursing degree in 1949. Upon graduation, she returned home to Gardner to become the superintendent of nursing at Reece Hospital. On June 27, 1953 JoAnn was married to the “love of her life”, Robert (Bob) Edward Stumpff. Bob was at the time a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Thus, she proceeded in life as a military officer’s wife. Bob remembers that their romance began when he woke up in a hospital bed and saw an angel (JoAnn) standing over him. Bob’s career in the Air Force took the family across the country and even across the ocean. Bob & JoAnn raised four children along the way - Mary, Frank, Eva, and Philip. While living in Ohio, JoAnn worked as a Greene County Health nurse. She would visit patients in their homes and tend to sick students in area schools. During this time JoAnn also received a Bachelor of Science degree in rehabilitation services from Wright State University in 1975. Upon Bob’s retirement from the Air Force they moved to Springfield, Virginia. JoAnn worked as the Director of Nursing at the Northern Virginia Training Center for 17 years. She retired from nursing in 1993. After retiring she continued to be active. JoAnn enjoyed walking in her neighborhood. She also taught senior aerobics for over 10 years at a local church. She always enjoyed her grandchildren a great deal. She delighted being with them, watching them and cheering them on their activities. In her later years, she enjoyed feeding the birds and wildlife in her backyard-including the neighborhood fox.
Always a gracious hostess, JoAnn enjoyed entertaining friends in her home. She had a variety of interests, enjoying gardening, especially flowers. She liked collecting antiques and loved a good garage sale! She had an artistic eye for design and detail. She decorated her home for each holiday. Her creativity was demonstrated in the unique, festive, and creative way she always made the family’s house a home. She shared this creativity with many others especially as a Cub Scout Den mother. She was an excellent mother and cook. Her lasagna is remembered fondly by all in the family! The one surprise the family had one evening was when JoAnn was adventuresome for supper fixing “fried eggplant”. The consensus of the family was “Mom…we LOVE your lasagna!” Obviously, not all the family’s culinary tastes were as open to eggplant as JoAnn! Her gingersnaps and oatmeal cookies were cherished among friends and family.
JoAnn was always positive and cheerful with everyone. JoAnn had a gentle but strong spirit. She was a natural, loving mother. She made each birthday a special celebration. She savored summer with her children being home and was never ready for school to resume as she enjoyed having her family all together. Though she was a girl taken out of the country with her family and career, she remained a country girl at heart. She loved her native Kansas and always cherished her visits home over the years to the open spaces and big skies. Now she has come home again one last time to her beloved Kansas!
She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Latona Hedrick, infant son Robert, Jr., brother William Hedrick, Jr. and sisters Irene Hedrick, Karen McKaig, and Lee Nell Moody. JoAnn is survived by her husband of 67 years Robert Stumpff, her sister Neva Read (Al), her four children: Mary Stumpff-Holiga (Timothy), Frank Stumpff (Marie), Eva Gardiner (Mark) and Philip Stumpff; 10 grandchildren, Justin Holiga (Denise), Christopher Holiga (Jessica), Laura Holiga, Daniel Stumpff (Erika), Sarah Button (Chris), Lee Ann Stumpff, Ember Stumpff, Ransom Gardiner, Cole Gardiner, Quanah Gardiner; nine great-grandchildren: Stella Holiga, Lucy Holiga, Emma Holiga, Abigail Holiga, Gabriel Holiga, William Stumpff, Alley Stumpff, Kendra Stumpff and Charlotte Button and great-great-grandchild, Bradley Stanley. JoAnn is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.