Barbara Joan "Jo" Durham

Jo lived her 82 years in the fullest way possible. She was so many things to so many people - a wife, mom, Grammy, great-Grammy, aunt, and cousin. She was loyal, strong, loving, thoughtful, compassionate, honest, and endlessly selfless. She was the planner who always knew what came next, never indecisive, and very much the glue of our family. She carried herself with grace and warmth and was, in every sense, a classy woman.
Jo grew up in LaGrange, Missouri, a farm kid and the oldest sibling. She had a gentle soul, the kind that made people instantly feel safe and loved. There was a steadiness about her - a quiet strength that shaped our family in ways we'll feel forever.
There are so many memories that choosing just a few feels impossible. When asking family members, her husband Rog shared the one that immediately came to mind. On one of their many trips around the world, they found themselves in Venice, gliding down a canal in a gondola. Rog has a video of Jo softly saying, "It's beautiful," and in that moment - the two of them taking in the world together - you can see all 62 years of their marriage reflected.
Rog and Jo met at Northeast Missouri State University. As Jo said it best, "I knew I loved you from the moment you walked into that class." Their last names both started with "D," so they sat next to each other - a simple seating chart that changed everything. Their love shaped our family and remained the center of everything we did.
She truly was a world traveler. She saw so many places with her husband, her sister, and her brother-in-law. Her most recent trip was to visit her granddaughter in Savannah with her husband, sister, daughter, and brother-in-law. They spent days exploring the city, walking the boardwalk, laughing through tours, and marveling at the architecture.
Though she spent a couple of days in the hospital, the day before had been filled with sunshine at her granddaughter's home - watching the Chiefs game, eating crab, and chasing great-grandchildren. It was a good day, full of the things she loved.
Jo was the most delicate and warm place to land. She reminded us constantly not to worry so much and to have fun - advice she lived by.
There's no way a few paragraphs can fully capture the life she lived or the love she gave, but I hope this offers a small glimpse into the beautiful person she was. She was our constant, and she will be forever missed. In her gentle way, she taught us to slow down, worry less, and enjoy the moment - and we'll honor her by doing just that.