Joanne Sisson

Joanne Sisson passed away peacefully on Wednesday Aug. 20, 2008, at Lakeridge Special Care Center in Moses Lake. Born Joanne Ruth Rhoades to Mary Jane and Earle Dusty Rhoades on Jan. 28, 1931, in Woodland, Wash. Joanne spent most of her youth in Snohomish, Wash., and later in Coulee City, Wash., as her father was the lead diamond driller for the Grand Coulee Dam project in the 1940s. She graduated from Hartline High School in 1949. Joanne attended Central Washington University in Ellensburg, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education in 1954. She then traveled to Ethiopia with her parents and taught English to Ethiopian students at the Haile Salassie Day School in Addis Ababa from 1954 to 1956. Joanne returned to central Washington in 1956 and began teaching elementary school with the Eprhata School District. She married Ronald W. Sisson on July 26, 1958, in Ephrata. A few years later they moved to Spokane when Ron began his newspaper career with the Spokane Chronicle (Spokesman Review) newspaper. Joanne chose to stay at home to raise their three children, Beth, Kent, and Becky. Joanne’s compassion for others was demonstrated through her many acts of volunteer community service and desire to help others. As a homemaker, she volunteered her time with several organizations in the Spokane area. These included Project READ and the Hmong Refugee ESL classes in which she assisted numerous individuals to read and speak the English language. Later in life, Joanne worked in the daycare field at the Guild School and the Fort Wright Montessori School in Spokane. Joanne and Ron were very active in the Garland Avenue Alliance Church in Spokane. Joanne acted as Sunday school superintendent and volunteered to organize the Pillars Fellowship meetings for several years. She always made time to assist with special projects at the church and had a strong relationship with the Lord. Joanne had many friends in both the Spokane and Ephrata communities. She was a 20-plus-year member of the Spring Hill Garden Club in Spokane and truly loved gardening and working with flowers. She received several ribbons for flower arrangements submitted to the Spokane County Fair. She and Ron retired to Ephrata in 1995. Joanne had a love for animals and truly relied on the companionship of her dog “Lexi” after Ron’s death. Joanne will be most remembered for her ability to listen, her sense of compassion, and love of God.

She is preceded in death by her husband Ron and eldest sister Mary Jane Lybecker.

She is survived by daughter Beth Sisson of Moses Lake, son Kent (Kris) Sisson of Wenatchee, and daughter Becky (Dean) Chess of Salem, Ore. She is also survived by two sisters Annette Tucker and Middy (Gene) Ruthruff, both of Snohomish, as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Joanne leaves behind three grandchildren, Tatiana and Ashlyn Chess, and Travis Sisson.

The family wishes to thank Blossom Valley Assisted Living (Wenatchee), Summerwood Alzheimer’s Care Home, Lakeridge Special Care Center, and Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake for the compassionate care our mother received during the past three years.

A Memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday Aug. 29 at the Moses Lake Alliance Church (1100 N. Grape Drive) in Moses Lake.

Arrangements in care of Carver Family Funeral Home, Moses Lake.