Jerry Ann Piontkowski

Jerry Ann (Wheatley) Piontkowski, 89, passed away at her home in New Salisbury, Indiana on Monday September 15th, 2025, after an 11-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Her bravery, spirit, positive attitude, and sheer will to keep living her adventurous life, kept her going for much longer than anyone thought that she could.

She was known for her always friendly attitude and kindness. She never met a stranger and would talk to anyone about anything like they were old friends. She usually wore bright, colorful, and stylish clothes. For many years she wore a ponytail on the top of her head which gave her a youthful look. In the last few years, she went back to the "bob" haircut which she wore when she was a stewardess. She was famous for carrying around photographs of her children, grandchildren, and adventures, and would show anyone she talked to these parts of her life. Everyone always said that they could tell she was so proud of her kids and grandkids and of her world adventures.

Jerry Ann was born March 6th, 1936, at her family home in Percy Illinois. Her parents were sure that they were going to have a boy, and so "Jerry" was the only name they had picked out. They were pleasantly surprised when they had a girl, but they kept that name anyway, even though it was the common way to spell the boy's version of that name. This is probably why she always went by "Jerry Ann" and not "Jerry".

Her dad, Charles Wheatley was a coal miner, electrician, boy scout leader, among other things. Her mother, Sophia (Culp) Wheatley, worked in her early years picking cotton, and at her father's restaurant in Manila, Arkansas. Later, she worked at the shoe factory in Steelville, Illinois. Her parents were both wonderful people who helped many in their community, and that is probably where she got her kind, sweet, and helpful nature. They took vacations and road trips all around the country, which is no doubt where Jerry Ann developed her lifelong love of travel.

Jerry Ann graduated from TRICO high School in Campbell Hill, Illinois in 1954, where she was a cheerleader, and very social and popular with her classmates. The class is still very connected and close. Last year, they celebrated their 70th class reunion, which she attended.

In 1957 she graduated from Washington University in St Louis as a Registered Nurse. She worked at Barnes hospital in St. Louis, and later at Kaiser Permanente hospital in the San Francisco Bay area.

In 1958 she was in the first graduating class from the brand-new American Airlines stewardess college in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. She loved being an American Airlines stewardess and traveled the country and the world. She met many famous movie stars, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other interesting people in those days. She always had stories which would surprise us about people like LA Lakers players Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, or John F. Kennedy, or other famous people. She would tell stories of people she saw like Patsy Cline, Don Rickles, or the Rat Pack, in Las Vegas or Reno.

She loved being a stewardess and spent the rest of her life as an active member, club president, and national officer for the Kiwi Club, which is an organization for former and current American Airlines stewardesses and flight attendants. She attended their conventions every two years for the last several decades. She adored her time with her stewardess friends.

While she was stationed at Midway airport in Chicago, she went to an American Airlines picnic. There she was introduced to a guy who she thought was a gangster, because of his Chicago accent with the "dis", "dat", and "doze" and because of his slick and stylish dress. That guy (Donald Piontkowski) ended up being her husband and they spent the next 60 years together.

Before they got married, Jerry Ann and a couple of her stewardess friends decided to take a trip around the world. Many people said that was quite a brave thing to do in 1962, for a young woman of only 26 years. She went to Egypt, the Holy Land, Japan, India, and several other countries. It was the trip of a lifetime. She enjoyed telling stories about it and sharing photos and movies from the trip.

She got married in 1962 in Percy, Illinois at the Wesley United Methodist Church. They honeymooned in Hawaii (and celebrated their 50th anniversary there in 2012). They were stationed together with American Airlines at Midway airport in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

Back in those days, stewardesses were not allowed to be married, so they kept their marriage a secret. Clearly, if you can't be married, you can't be pregnant. So, when her belly started showing because of her son Brad, she had to quit working for American Airlines in 1965. Brad was born in Palo Alto, California at Stanford University Hospital when they were stationed at SFO. Before she quit, she visited her pen pal since the 4th grade in Australia.

She and Don wanted to be closer to family, so in 1966 Don transferred with American Airlines to Louisville, Kentucky. In 1966 she joined Bethlehem Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky and attended it until her passing. A year later, in 1967, their daughter Beth was born at St. Joseph's hospital in Louisville.

In 1976 they moved the family to New Salisbury, Indiana, where they spent the rest of their lives.

After she stopped working for American Airlines, Jerry Ann was wholeheartedly into being a mother and raising her two children. She was always involved in their school and was a room mother for them thirteen times over 9 years. Both of her kids were in band, so she was also a band mother and went on many band trips with them; including when they marched at the World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1982, and for the rededication of the Statue of Liberty in New York City.

After the kids were out of school and out of the house, she started her third career as a travel counselor for the state of Indiana. She spent 26 years in that job. Most of that time was spent at the Welcome Center on interstate 64 near Lanesville, Indiana.

She loved that job, and loved talking to and helping people. She met so many interesting people who would stop and ask for help or directions. She also surprisingly met many people from her hometown who were traveling through and

stopped there for a break. She knew about everything having to do with Indiana history, Abraham Lincoln, the lakes, forests, hiking, biking, hotels, and tourist things you could do in the state. She was a wealth of information. After she retired from that job in 2020, she continued to get on tour buses and give tours of the town of Corydon. She knew so much about the history of the town and of the area.

Through all those years, she and Don continued to travel all over the country and sometimes to different countries. She especially loved Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and Hawaii and went to those places many times.

After her husband Don passed in 2017, she continued to travel and sometimes met her son in places such as Medellin, Colombia; Panamá City, Panamá; and Hawaii.

She had been a lifelong fan of Princess and Queen Elizabeth. In the fourth grade she got pen pals from England and Australia and learned about princess Elizabeth. (She recently regained connection with her pen pal in Australia but was never able to reconnect with her pen pal in England.) She followed the Queen for the rest of her life. In 2022, when the queen had her Platinum Jubilee, she decided she would make the trip to London, alone, to see the Queen. Many friends and family members were shocked, but anyone who knew her really wasn't. She was always the adventurous person and did what she wanted to do. Even though she was older and having trouble walking, she always found somebody to help her. She even got interviewed by the BBC and two other stations in England. They were amazed that an 86-year-old lady would travel to England by herself. (She shook hands and chatted with Prince [now king] Charles a few years ago when he was in Louisville, Kentucky. She told him that she remembered when he was born. He got a kick out of that!)

She and Don quite often attended the "Three Diamonds Society" conventions, which is for people who have at least 30 years with American Airlines. (Don had 40!) They both enjoyed getting together with their American Airlines friends.

She and Don also enjoyed traveling to the Aloha International Steel Guitar Convention for the last couple of decades in Winchester, Indiana. They had many nice friends from there.

Her adventurous spirit never ended. Even after she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Halloween evening 2024, she continued to talk about travel and the places she wanted to go. A few weeks before her death, some of the chaplains and nurses were asking about her life and dreams. She said she still planned to visit the Italian Riviera and take an Alaskan cruise! She never gave up and never thought too much about being sick. Almost right until the end, she still believed that she would get well. That is a testament to her spirit, her positive attitude, and her toughness.

Finally, though, the cancer got too strong and started to make her weak and frail. Even though she was in horrible pain and suffering badly for 11 months; she kept a positive attitude and never complained. It was amazing and inspiring to watch. Many people said they would have given up months ago, but Jerry Ann never did.

Sadly, she passed away in her home, on the evening of September 15th, 2025, with her son Brad by her side.

Many people have said that she lived the life of ten people combined, because she packed so much fun and adventure and careers and kindness into the life that she had been given. So many people have said that she was an inspiration as a trailblazer, woman, mother, traveler, and all around sweet and kind person. They don't make them like her anymore!

She will be sorely missed by family, friends, and everyone whose life she touched.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Don. She is survived by her brother Tom Wheatley (Leisa) of Waterloo, Illinois; her son Brad Piontkowski (Fumie); daughter Beth Phillips (Chad) of Corydon, Indiana; and her beloved grandchildren Cameron, Brendon, Savannah, Abby, Carli, and Josie. She also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Visitation will be at Gehlbach and Royse funeral home in Corydon, Indiana, Friday September 26th from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. There will be a visitation on Saturday the 27th at 9:00 a.m. and then funeral services at 11:00 a.m., followed by burial at St Michael's Catholic Church cemetery in Bradford, Indiana. Followed by a dinner, fellowship, and storytelling at the Central Barren United Methodist Church in Central Barren, Indiana.

All friends and family are invited to attend.