JoAnn Johnson Bemrich

1932 - 2011

JoAnn Johnson Bemrich was carried to the loving arms of her Lord on Friday, July 22, 2011, at home with over 40 of her family members by her side. Service: Noon Tuesday at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Grand Prairie, with burial following in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery in Dallas. Visitation: 6 to 8.m. Monday at Bean-Massey-Burge Funeral Home, Beltline Road, in Grand Prairie. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, JoAnn would love for you to contribute to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Grand Prairie. JoAnn was a proud Okie from Muskogee, born there on June 20, 1932, to the late Joseph Luther and Inez Sue Harris Johnson. Baptized into Christianity at age 11 in the Church of Christ, she later converted to the Roman Catholic faith when she married Richard "Dick" Lawrence Bemrich July 5, 1952. On marriage to Dick, she began her world travels as he served in the United States Air Force. Her first six children were born while at Offutt Air Force base in Nebraska. Baby Seven was born in Muskogee as she waited to join Dick in Spain. While living in Madrid, JoAnn did volunteer work for the military base chapel. She served as director of religious education for the military dependent children. The eighth child was born at the base. Their return to the United States was to Mountain Home, Idaho, where baby number Nine (and last) was born. The final assignment for the Bemrichs took them to Forbes AFB, Kan. JoAnn once again did volunteer work as youth choir director and religious education director. On retirement from the USAF July 1, 1971, the Bemrich family immigrated to Geraldton, West Australia, where she taught religion classes and also helped at Nazareth House, a home for the fragile elderly and orphans. When her husband became ill, the family returned to the USA and settled in San Antonio. Both Richard and JoAnn began what would be a lifetime ministry to the poor through the Society of St. Vincent De Paul (SVDP). JoAnn attended St. Mary's University majoring in psychology. After 10 years of volunteering with the SVDP, JoAnn became executive director of the SVDP for the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Together, Dick and JoAnn worked to create Friendship House (SVDP), a center of charity for the Lackland AFB area of San Antonio based at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Parish where Richard served as deacon. JoAnn took a position as executive director of the SVDP for the Diocese of Palm Beach, Fla. She later accepted a position with the Diocese of Little Rock (Ark.). There she served as parish ministry coordinator, director of the Campaign for Human Development (CHD) and eventually as director of Social Action. She also served on the national board of the Campaign for Human Development. Richard's health was deteriorating rapidly so JoAnn retired in 1994 to be his full-time caregiver. Their home in Arkansas sat on the shores of Lake Conway near the little town of Mayflower. Many family gatherings were hosted there. In 2005 they moved to Round Rock in 2005 to live with daughter Liz and her family. After Dick passed away May 2005, JoAnn worked with the SVDP at St. William's Church in Round Rock. Her independent nature took over in 2008 and she moved to a house of her own in Grand Prairie, where she continued to work for the Society of St. Vincent De Paul at St. Michael the Archangel Church. "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"-Matthew 25:23 Survivors: JoAnn is survived by her children, Steve Bemrich and wife, Barbara, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Joe Bemrich and wife, Sarah, of Flower Mound, Sue Boenisch of Grand Prairie, Rick Bemrich of San Antonio, Kevin Bemrich and wife, Lisa, of Mayflower, Ark., John Bemrich and wife, Barbara, of Abilene, Liz McIntyre and husband, Joe, of Round Rock, Jeanne De Los Santos and husband, Gabe, of Yokosuka, Japan, and Julie Edwards and husband, Ronny, of Oxford, Ala.; grandchildren, Christina, Robert, Rebecca, Jesse, Ellen, Sarah, Audra, Theresa, Carolyn, Kimberly, Erica, Victoria, Amanda, Kevin, John, Elizabeth, Joseph, Lindsay, Gabriel, James, David, Shilo, Katherine, Barbara, Jesse and Jake; great-grandchildren, David, Katie Ann, Robert, Evelyn, Richard, Joey, Ayden, Lela, Gunner, Kylie, Spencer, Aubrey, Jacob, Ashley, Allison, Aaron, Benjamin, Emily, Ayden and Olivia; and her sweet sisters, Suzy Patton and Debi Steppach.