JoAnn Newton, age 86, a recent resident of Galveston Texas, went to be with the Lord Wednesday, Sept 13th, 2023 at Jeannie Sealy Hospital in Galveston after a long battle with Cancer.  JoAnn was born "Jo Ann Jones" on March 7, 1937 to Oda Jones and Lillian Wilson Jones on a farm just outside Wetumka, Oklahoma.

Local services are scheduled for 1 pm Tuesday Sept 19th at Carnes Brothers Funeral Home in Galveston, TX.  Viewing will start at noon.  There will be a service on Sept 23rd at Sunset Mermorial Park Cemetery, 2301 East Indian Hills Road, Norman, Oklahoma, 73071 at 2 pm in the Chapel.  Viewing will begin at 1 pm.

JoAnn was the oldest of 9 kids and dedicated her life to helping others.  She attended Norman High School in Norman Oklahoma and was trained by Central State Hospital to be a Nurse.  She worked there for a few years and then went to Norman Regional Hospital for many years.  She felt lead to work at the J.D. McCarty Cerebral Palsy Center for children in Norman Oklahoma.  She worked as a Nurse and did physical therapy with the children.  After having back issues, she moved to the office where she retired several years later. To show some of her caring nature, during the holidays, some of the children would not be able to go home so JoAnn would take many of them to her home to celebrate the holidays with her family.

JoAnn loved to play basketball and was one of the top ranked high school basketball players in Oklahoma.  Her nickname in high school was "Wheaties" because she was one of the few women who could throw a basketball from one end of the court to the other and hit the backboard.  She loved music and played the piano.  She crocheted, knitted, did needlework, sewed many of the kids' clothes and was a very skilled seamstress.  She loved to cook for her family and just loved animals, she always had pets around her.

JoAnn loved God and family.  She married Dwain Newton on May 5th, 1956.  She had 4 children, (Kevin Newton, Kelly Carlson, Kelta Newton and Kari Morales), 8 grandchildren (Amber Newton, Charley Newton, Joseph Morales, Whitney Morales, Cayle Newton, Cortney Graves, Tyler Newton, Brooke Zurita), 8 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.  She is a member of First Baptist Church in Galveston Texas where she gained a Sunday School family that she loved very much.

JoAnn was proceeded in death by her husband of 38 years, Dwain Newton, her parents, Oda and Lillian Jones, and 3 brothers (James, Larry and Randy).  She is survived by 5 siblings (Ruby, Lee, Jerretta, Gwen, and Paul), all of her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

JoAnn was greatly loved, well thought of, and will be sorely missed.

Memorials may be given in her memory to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. www.mdanderson.org/donors-volunteers/donate.html