JoAnn Katherine Sidders

XENIA — JoAnn Katherine (Bahner) Sidders, beloved mother, grandmother, aunt and friend, entered into eternal rest with our Lord on March 14, 2025 at age 100 while visiting her daughter in Tallahassee, Florida. Living an exceptionally long life, she chose to live it fully and joyfully, making her family the most important thing to her. She was a woman made of love, strength, compassion, independence and faith who loved to share stories about her friends and family from when she was a child to her time as a great grandmother. Her ability to be happy, joyful and to laugh and smile were traits that made her so special and is used to describe her by those who knew her. JoAnn was born to Paul and Thelma Bahner on September 7, 1924 in Sciotoville, Ohio and to be the little sister to two big brothers. She was a graduate of East High School in Portsmouth, Ohio in 1942. She met R. Keith Sidders, an Army soldier fighting in WW II from Xenia, Ohio while she was working at Wright Field on a blind date set up by her best girlfriend. They were married at Trinity Methodist Church in Xenia on October 19, 1946 after Keith was discharged from the Army. They enjoyed 54 years of marriage living in Xenia until his death in 2001. She continued to worship at Trinity, now known as Faith Community United Methodist, until her death. Leaving her job when she married, JoAnn was a stay at home mom after her first child was born in 1949 until she went to work at Anderson Insurance Company when the youngest of her three children started Junior High. She truly loved every day she worked and eagerly gave over the task of cooking dinner to her husband as he loved to grocery shop and cook. She loved working the election polls, being a member of Eastern Star and being Mom Sidders to Rainbow Girls at the Masonic Lodge. She enjoyed her time as a member of Delta Grandmother's Club and was very successful growing African Violets and other house plants. As the grandchildren started being born, traveling to visit them and spending time with the grandchildren in Xenia were important to her. Moving to N. King Street after the 1974 tornado, she enjoyed sitting on the front porch after supper with her husband enjoying a cup of coffee and talking to neighbors who stopped by. Her last years were spent enjoying time with her daughters and their families in Xenia and time in St. Charles, Missouri and Tallahassee, Florida. Passions she continued until her death were watching football, scrolling through Facebook, exercising, having coffee in the morning and evening with a sweet treat, eating fried green tomatoes after watching them grow in her garden and attending church. Her grandchildren and great grand children brought her such happiness and smiles until her last day. JoAnn is survived by three daughters, Keitha Strebel(Jeff), Debbie Swigart (Tom) and Vicki Wood (Carl), grandchildren Justin Strebel, Monica Mitchell, Emily Swigart, Allison Rouse and Caroline Kelly(Patrick) and great grand children Kendall Strebel, Jacob, Molly and Ethan Strebel, Madilyn, Tyler and Kaitlyn Mitchell, Jamison Gilliland and Liam Kelly, and Taylor and Jordan Stewart. She was preceded in death by grandson James Strebel. She also is survived by seven special nieces and nephews Kay, Carol, Ken, Paul, Patsy, Pam and Phil, the children of her brothers Bill and Jude Bahner who also predeceased her. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 21 from 10:00 -11:00 am in the Chapel at Faith Community United Methodist Church, 100 Country Club Drive, Xenia, Ohio followed by a funeral service in the Sanctuary at 11:00 am. Lunch reception will be held after the service in the Fellowship Hall followed by burial at Kings Creek Cemetery in Urbana Ohio. An expression of sympathy memorials may be made to JoAnn's favorite charities St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or The Salvation Army. JoAnn will be remembered as a loving, generous, easy going, agreeable and happy woman who brought joy and smiles to our lives. Condolences may be made to the family at http://www.NeeldFuneralHome.com.