Jo was born Onahbelle Johanna Reader on May 6, 1927, in Ypsilanti, Mich., to Russell and Onahbelle Millard Reader.
Going by Joanna, Jo or Mrs. David Louis O’Connor I, she remarked even after he died that she was still married to the old goat – she was his wife for “Always!”
Yes, this “village brat” loved all kinds of animals besides “the old goat,” but we don’t think any compared (including Dad!) to her first love … her horse, Village Belle, at Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village in Michigan! Because of this most remarkable school, a most amazing woman was shaped – she was a gifted horsewoman, swimmer, seamstress, historian, artisan – and singer!
She grew up singing around the organ with her family, many of whom were musicians and vaudevillians of some renown. She was a coloratura soprano with an exquisite voice which touched the ears and hearts of many people including Henry Ford’s and she was humbly honored to do the recitation at the funeral service of his own son, Edsel. Singing wasn’t enough for her though, and she turned down her spot at Juilliard to marry a (flying!) horse of another color – Navy Blue!
After many exciting adventures and moves in cars and station wagons of different colors with different types of horses under the hood, with four kids in tow, they came to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station to retire.
Retire? After Dad retired as “the oldest LCDR in Navy history!” he spread his own wings and flew with abandon into his next career in restaurant management in Oak Harbor at the Kennel, the Steak House and then lastly, The Farmhouse Inn at La Conner before those wings gave out in 1989. It’s funny how people “spread their wings,” especially as adults. In the late ‘60s, both Mom and Dad took jewelry classes but Mom immersed herself in this form of artistic creativity, eventually teaching at Skagit Valley Community College for 12 years, teaching many of our local artisans this form of artistic expression. Later, still expressing herself in her eclectic way, she became the Nubian Way Goat Woman! No matter what she did, she did it with panache! She was definitely “cool” … in her moccasins, Navajo blanket poncho, crazy cool sunglasses smoking a Gold B&H 100’s in a cigarette holder of variable length and color! Though she later gave up smoking, each one of us remembers that picture of her that Wally Funk posted in the
Whidbey News-Times! What a gas!
Memories of the generations – we the children, David, Shannon, Jody (now Joule!) and April will continue to share theirs … and ours, with our children and their children, thus far: 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren (plus one still in the cooker!) and one great-great-grandchild!
With most everyone from theirs gone, she took the rest of the memories with her when she died April 14, 2012, mere weeks before her 85th birthday. A family Celebration of Remembrance of both her and Dad’s life, was held at Wallin Funeral Home and she was finally laid to rest with Dad at Maple Leaf Cemetery.
“Yellow Bird” and “Village Brat” together again … Always!
I’ll be loving you…always … not for just a day, not for just a year but … always!
