Joan Lavon Hoffarth

Joan Lavon (Harris) Hoffarth was born on April 2, 1935, to Joe Ray Harris and Blanche Elizabeth (Welton) Harris in Vanzant, Missouri. She passed away on March 31, 2025, at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri.

As a child, Joan attended school at the Victory church building. She would continue to go to Victory as a member of the church for the majority of her adult life.

Joan met her husband, Norman Hoffarth, while working in Mountain Grove as an assistant at the dentist’s office. They would go on to move to Independence, Missouri, while Norman was working as a welder. After they had their two children, Carrie and Dwight Hoffarth, Joan wanted to move back home to Douglas County, and Norman would oblige.

They purchased the family property from Joan’s parents, and lived in a small camper until they were able to build their home. Joan stayed home to raise Carrie and Dwight, while Norman worked at Dairy Farmers of America in Cabool, Missouri. After some time, Joan would go back to work, and become the postmaster at the Vanzant Post Office, where she worked until retirement.

Above everything else, Joan loved her family. She was happily married to Norman Hoffarth for 59 years until his passing in 2019. Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all called her house “home” for a time. She also loved the community she was born and lived in, and the community loved her as well.

She was kind, social, and intelligent. She enjoyed spending time talking with her friends and family, and her weekly trips to church. She hosted every holiday, and greeted every guest. She left an impression on everyone she met, and she will be missed by those left to mourn her.

Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Norman Hoffarth, her parents, Ray and Blanche Harris, her brothers, Jack Harris and James Huntsman, her sister, Cuma Jameson, and her daughter, Carrie Schafer.

She is survived by one son, Dwight Hoffarth, five grandchildren, Brandy Nelson, Brittany Russell, Abram Hoffarth, Hailey Hoffarth, and Tyler Hoffarth, eight great-grandchildren, seven great-great-grandchildren, and many more nieces, nephews, friends and relatives.