Georgianna “Joan” Tennis

Demopolis

Georgianna “Joan” Tennis, 94, of Demopolis, Alabama died Monday, August 9, 2004 after a short illness, at the home of her daughter, Dianne Metheny, in South Dartmouth, MA, where she was visiting. She was the widow of Ralph “Penny” Tennis of Neosho, MO.

Born in Kansas City, MO, she was the daughter of the late Harley and Genevieve Adams. Her mother died when she was nine and she went to live with her maternal grandmother and grandfather Iluesmann in Garber, OK. After graduating from high school in Enid, OK, she attended business school and worked as a bookkeeper for Safeway Stores and later in Neosho, for Matters Jewelry and Newton County Hardware.

She lived in Neosho 47 years and for much of that time she was a greeter at the First Christian Church. She was noted by family and friends for her weekly effort to write thank you notes to every visitor to the church. She participated in numerous church activities. Her annual basement sale with her friends was always well attended.

Ardent football fans, she and her husband, Penny, attended Neosho High School football games faithfully for many years.

At 83, she moved from Neosho to Demopolis to live with her daughter, JoAnn Baker. She again picked up her “Good Lord’s” work at the First Christian Church in Demopolis and there, ultimately, became know affectionately as “Mama Joan.”

In addition to her two daughters she is survived by a son, Dr. Paul Tennis, of Monroe, LA; seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Services will be held at the First Christian Church in Neosho at 11 a.m., Friday, August 13, 2004. Dr. Bill Masters will officiate. Interment will follow at Neosho IOOF Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Bennie Moore, Bob Foster, Rick Butler, Fred Boatright, Bill Crowe and Gene Young.

Friends may call at the funeral home Thursday from noon to 5 p.m. The family will receive friends at the First Christian Church Friday morning from 10:00 a.m. until service time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the First Church in Neosho, MO or the First Christian Church in Demopolis, AL c/o Clark Funeral Home, P.O. Box 66, Neosho, MO 64850. Arrangements under direction of Clark Funeral Home, Neosho, MO.