JOAN KIRBY

LIBERAL- Services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Hannon Freewill Baptist Church for Lyolene Joan “Jo” Kirby, 83, Liberal, who died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. Woody Wilkinson, Don Smith and Terry Burke will officiate. Burial will be in Nashville Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Konantz Warden Funeral Home, Lamar.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Nashville Cemetery Association or the Hannon Free Will Baptist Youth Group.

The obituary may be viewed and condolences sent online at www.konantzwarden.com.

Survivors include her husband, JD Kirby; a daughter, Kimbra Brunk and husband Randy, Arma, Kan.; two sons, Kyle Kirby and wife Cindy and Scott Kirby and wife Melanie, Liberal; grandchildren, Kirby, Josie, Kelsey, Kendall, Reed, Kale Kennedy and Ty; great-grandchildren, Conner, Addison, Gage, Brody, Shelby and Carter; a brother, Jerry Runnels and wife Janet; a sister, Pam Runnels Gregory and husband Doug, Runnelsville and her caregiver, Peggy Dickey.

She was preceded in death by a son, Tim Kirby, in 1983.

Mrs. Kirby was born Sept. 19, 1935, in Runnelsville, to Alene Bernice (James) and Lyle Eugene Runnels. She was baptized in Bill Flaker’s creek, then became a member of Nashville Christian Church and later Hannon Freewill Baptist Church. She was a Southwestern Bell telephone operator in Joplin and Pittsburg, Kan.

She taught Sunday school and VBS. She enjoyed cooking and gardening and used these skills to help out her neighbors when needed.

She married James Dale “JD” Kirby on Feb. 19, 1956, in Nashville, Mo.