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Joann Murr Stapp was born in Kimble County on January 22, 1936, to parents, Roy and Ena Hunger Murr. Joann grew up in the Murr Community and attended school in Junction. Her parents moved to Arkansas just before her senior year in high school and she graduated there with her new friends. She remained close to the Junction classmates that she grew up with and was invited to participate in the Junction High School graduation ceremonies.
Joann was married to Phil Stapp after high school. She worked at Schreiner Department Store; then moved to North Carolina when Phil joined the service.
They moved back to Junction to raise their family. Joann worked for Davis and Eula Murr at their flower shop, then at Texas A&M and later Texas Tech when it changed over. After that she started working for Farm Bureau part-time and sold Avon on the side until Farm Bureau became full time. She enjoyed working with people and doing her best to help them. After retirement she would fill in from time to time at Farm Bureau to help out.
She also worked at a couple of the local motels in town checking people in and out. Joann found great pleasure in meeting and joking around with everyone who crossed her path.
Joann's belief in God, the faith in her heart, her positive attitude and her sense of humor are an example for all of us to live by as she did. She let God put her illness aside, and she made the best of what she was given to deal with. Joann will always be remembered for her smile. In spite of her serious illness, she could always cheer someone else up and make their problems seem minimal. She lived each day to the fullest.
Joann was preceded in death by her brother, Ralph Murr. She is survived by brothers, Julius Murr and wife, Florence Ellen Sheppard Murr, Clayton Murr and wife, Dorothy Carriger Murr, all of Junction and sister-in-law, Winona Dutton Murr of Arkansas. She is also survived by two sons, Shane Stapp and Kody Stapp, both from Junction and daughter, Lesa Stapp Ranton and husband, Rusty, of Mountain Home. She had four grandchildren, Shanna, of Grape Creek, Cheyenne, of Junction, Laramie, of Kyle, Kristopher, of Junction and two step-grandchildren, Michael of Marble Falls and Byron of Stephenville. She also had five great-grandchildren, Stephannye, Kody, Weston, Moah, Shelby and step-great-grandchild, Logan. Joann is also survived by nieces and nephews who were very special to her. She also leaves behind some very special close friends. We will all miss her very much and are thankful she was a big part of our lives.
A celebration of Joann's life was held on Tuesday, March 27, 2007, at Gentry Fife Funeral Home with burial following in the Junction Cemetery where she was laid to rest with her parents, her sister, Lena, and brother, Carlton, who passed on before she was born. Pallbearers were Shane Stapp, Kody Stapp, Cheyenne Stapp, Kristopher Bankston, Milton Tuckness and Jerry Don Chenault.
Memorials may be made to Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Vista Care Hospice, American Cancer Society, Northside Church of Christ, or charity of your choice. The family also asks that you encourage a loved one to be screened for cancer.