ANN JOINER's Obituary
PERRY –
Ann Jolly Groce Joiner, 95, passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 9, 2025. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at Watson-Hunt Funeral Home in Perry. Visitation will begin at 2:00 p.m., and the service will begin at 3:00 p.m. with Rev. Wayne Edwards officiating. Burial will be in Perry Memorial Gardens immediately following the service.
Ann was born in Oglethorpe, Georgia, to the late Spartan Thomas “S.T.” Groce, and the late Jewell Jolly Groce. After graduating from Oglethorpe High School, where she was a cheerleader and saxophone player, she attended Berry College. She then went to Augusta’s Barret School of Nursing to earn a year’s credit. She fell in love with and married Carl Joiner in 1950 and settled in their hometown of Montezuma, Georgia. They had two children, Carla and Jimmy.
In 1959, Ann decided to begin her journey to earn her nursing degree while juggling her home, husband and two children, eight and nine years of age. In 1960, she graduated from the nursing school at Georgia Southwestern College, took the state board exam, and received her Registered Nurse certificate on January 10, 1961. She worked at Riverside Hospital and was a much-sought-after private duty nurse. Hers is a story of true grit that followed Ann until her passing, and she was a shining example to all who knew her.
In 1961, Carl and Ann began to grow their family with the addition of three more children, Carl Jr., J.B., and Phoebe. A caring wife and mother of five, Ann worked hard to keep the household fun and full of laughter. In 1972, Ann was offered the position of Industrial Nurse at the new Pabst Brewing Company in Perry, Georgia. In 1975, Ann and Carl moved the family to Perry to be closer to her job.
With five kids, her household was a great hangout for the neighborhood kids where she was fondly known as “Miss Ann.” This gave her the opportunity to “nurse” all the neighborhood kids with minor cuts and scrapes. She loved it! She also loved her work family, continued to take care of everyone at “the plant,” and eventually retired from what had become G. Heileman Brewing Company, after it closed in 1998. After over a 35-year career in nursing, Ann felt her life’s work was not yet finished. She began working in her community as a private nurse for various families and later served as a Pink Lady at Perry Hospital for twelve years.
Ann loved people and never met a stranger. She was a long-time member of McKenzie Memorial Country Club in Montezuma, and Perry Country Club in Perry. She loved playing golf and enjoyed playing with the Ladies’ Golf Association, of which she was an active member. Ann enjoyed playing bridge with her bridge club friends. She loved spending time at the beach and swimming. Her passion in life, though, was her family, who lovingly referred to her as “MeMe,” a name she was given by her grandchildren. She treasured the moments spent with each and every one of them. She also had many lifelong close friends whom she considered family.
Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Jewell and S. T. Groce; her loving and devoted husband of fifty-six years, Carl E. Joiner, Sr.; and her sisters and brothers-in-law, Jean and Howard Park and Cynthia and Jim Still.
Left to cherish the memories they made with Ann are her children, Carla Moore (Tim) of Boca Raton, Florida, Jimmy Joiner (Sue) of Tallahassee, Florida, Carl Joiner, Jr. (Debbie) of Smyrna, J. B. Joiner of Rome, Georgia, and Phoebe Rabalais (Troy) of Perry; eight grandchildren, Dana Stewart, Trey Joiner, Jay Joiner, Coleman Joiner, Chloe Mobley, Chelsea Joiner, Josh Rabalais, and Alexis Chapman; thirteen great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews; and her two remaining first-cousins, John Jolly and Frank Groce, Jr., and their families.
Condolences for the family may be left in the online guestbook at www.watsonhunt.com. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.
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