Joe Ann Welch

Joe Ann Phillips Welch was born December 20, 1934, and went home to be with The Lord May 27, 2025. She, with her family, moved to Hale Mountain in December 1944 and attended school at Hale Mountain Church until the 9th grade where she went to Lincoln Consolidate Schools and graduated in 1953. She moved to Carthage, Mo and was a nanny to two children until the family moved to California. She got a job at an Abstract Company that had its office in the courthouse on the square and was able to work with her sister Norma daily. She worked there for about 53 years and moved to Lincoln to be with her extended family. Joe Ann was not one to sit for long, so she volunteered at Grace Place for 20 years then retired full-time. She was a regular on quilting days with the ladies at The Lincoln Methodist Church where she was a member. She enjoyed going to the basketball games to watch her great-great nieces and nephews play. She liked going out to eat, especially pizza, which was her favorite. She embroidered beautiful tea towels and worked on quilts with her sister Lee Munyon in the sunroom of Lee’s home. She loved collecting antiques and bought multiples of her favorites which included salt and pepper shakers, lamps, dishes and many other things.

She was loved by many people including The Lincoln Library ladies, the Water Department ladies, Grace Place volunteers and her church family.

At the age of 15, Joe went to a revival where she gave her heart to The Lord. In an interview with Lynn Kutter about Grace Place during COVID, she was asked if she was scared to be working with the public. She replied, “We all gotta go sometime”. Weeks ago, she told her sister Lee she was ready to go see her mama and daddy as she was losing her battle with Dementia.

We will miss her gentleness and kindness. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to Bright Futures who help fund the “Back to School Bonanza” for Lincoln School children. Donations can be dropped off at Arvest and The Lincoln Public Library.

Joe Ann is survived by 1 sister Lee Munyon of Lincoln and her family members, 2 brothers: Roy Leonard Phillips Jr. of Lincoln and his family, and Gerald Phillips of Morrow and his family, many nieces and nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews.

Graveside service will be held Friday, May 30, 2025 - 10:00 A.M. at Antioch Cemetery in Morrow, Arkansas