Mrs. Jo Ann (Walker) Long

Mrs. Jo Ann Walker Long, 82, who had close ties to the Somerville Community, departed this life in Tampa, Florida on Monday morning, January 27, 2014 following an extended illness.

Services for Mrs. Long were conducted at 2 P.M. Friday, May 2nd at the Peebles Main Funeral Chapel in Somerville. She will be lovingly interred in the Sanders Family Plot in Somerville's Hood Cemetery during a special private service.

Born on October 21, 1931 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, she is preceded in death by her parents Mr. and Mrs. Bryan W. (Marion) Walker and her husband Mr. Raymond Earl Long.  She was a graduate of Central High School in Memphis and attended Memphis State University.  She also enjoyed her many years of employment at Esso (now known as Exxon) and E. H. Crump and Company, both located in Memphis.

Jo Ann was the beautiful young girl who caught the eye of a charismatic young singer by the name of Elvis Presley.   The King of Rock and Roll was never successful in getting her to accept his invitation of dinner and dancing, instead, her dancing days began later when another young man became the love of her life.  She met her handsome, charming young Marine at a USO party, he asked her to dance and the rest was history.   She married Raymond Earl Long on January 9, 1955 and they spent most of their married life living in Memphis, Tennessee and in Dallas, Texas.  Jo Ann was a totally devoted and loving wife to Ray for 48 years until his passing in 2003.  As a supportive wife she held many important roles in all of her husband’s business ventures and as a loving and faithful wife she set a shining example of the kind of love and devotion required to keep a marriage strong and happy.

Jo Ann and Ray had two children fifteen years apart in age.  They are survived by those two loving daughters and their husbands, Mrs. Susan (Jim) Sanders of Somerville, Tennessee and Mrs. Jennifer (Carl) Goepper of Tampa, Florida.  “Jo Jo” was also the proud grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren:  Chloe Frances, Jonathan, Max and Noah Goepper, all of Tampa.  She leaves a sister and brother-in-law, Mrs. Jean (Ralph) Donati of Cordova, Tennessee, two nephews, Mr. Ralph (Leslie) Donati, Jr. of Collierville, Tennessee and Mr. Bryan (Katie) Donati of Germantown, Tennessee and their families.   Other surviving relatives include Mr. and Mrs. Robert Frost, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Loftus, Mr. and Mrs. Vic Loftus all of Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Jo Ann will forever live in the hearts of those that knew and loved her and she will be deeply missed, however, her family members believe that she would want everyone to remember her at her happiest, that beautiful young, blissful woman dancing in the arms of her dashing Marine.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Somerville First United Methodist Church, 202 S. East Street, Somerville, TN 38068 or to the charity of the donor's choice.