Joanne Ross Adkins

Funeral services for Joanne Ross (Bowers) Adkins, age 97 of San Angelo, Texas and formerly of Seminole, will be held Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. at Boyer Funeral Home with Pastor Gilbert Ramirez officiating. Burial will follow at Gaines County Cemetery. All services are under the direction of Boyer Funeral Home of Seminole. In her memory, her family has provided the following obituary.

Joanne Adkins went to be with her Lord and Savior on Sunday, June 2, 2024 in San Angelo. She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Joe Adkins; her parents, James Ross Bowers and Vera Mae (Price) Bowers Harold; her stepfather, James F. Harrold; and her grandson, Hayden Ross Poage.

Joanne is survived by her son, Joe Ross Adkins; her son, Danny Wayne and wife Wilda Marie (Washer) Adkins; her daughter, Vicki Lyn (Adkins) and husband Larry Don Poage; four grandchildren, Darrell Wayne and wife Mary (Chamberlain) Adkins, Craig Michael Adkins, Michelle Marie Adkins, and Sean Michael Poage; and four great-grandchildren, Lindsey Allison Adkins, Taylor Lauren Adkins, Hailey Nicole Adkins, and Blake Andrew Adkins.

Joanne was born March 20, 1927 in Wichita County, Texas. After her father died in 1932, Joanne and her mother moved to the Bowers Ranch in Gaines County, Texas and later to Seminole, where she attended school, graduating from Seminole High School in 1944. After high school, she worked as a clerk in the Gaines County Clerk's Office in Seminole. She met Elmer while working there, when he came in to file his discharge papers from the U.S. Marine Corps. This meeting led to dating, engagement, and marriage on December 14, 1947.

Joanne and Elmer started their family in Seminole while Elmer was working in the oil field. In 1959 Elmer went on his first overseas assignment with Sedco to Argentina, and Joanne and their three children followed to Comodoro Rivadavia in 1960. This was the start of 25 years living overseas in Argentina, Kuwait, Dubai, Doha, Iran, Holland, Nigeria, New Zealand, Scotland, Malaysia, and Brunei, and visiting many other countries along the way. Joanne had many adventures, including an attempted kidnapping of her and her daughter in Doha, evacuation from Nigeria during the Biafran War there, taking her children on many cultural trips to Egypt, Lebanon, the New York's World Fair and many European countries. She was an active partner with Elmer entertaining customers and assisting and supporting Sedco employee wives with foreign living. She was involved in local civic activities, advocating "Bloom Where You Are Planted" while on assignment living overseas. She cofounded the Aberdeen Scotland Oil Wives Club with two friends, serving as its first president. Joanne experienced her biggest thrill when she and Elmer were living in Aberdeen, where they were invited to a cocktail party aboard Queen Elizabeth's royal yacht and met the Queen and Prince Philip.

Joanne was a true artist with an eye for color and form from the time she was young. She created many paintings and drawings, and belonged to the San Angelo Art Club. She was also an avid collector of sculptures, especially Native American and Western pieces.

Joanne was an amazing cook, learning from her mother, and always enjoyed learning the cuisine of the places she lived or visited, incorporating recipes into her repertoire of family meals. Thanks to her efforts, the Petroleum Women's Cookbook was published in Scotland during her time there, with wonder recipes from all the women in the community. All profits from the book were donated to charity.

Joanne was a true pioneer in every sense of the word. An amazing daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she was a friend to all she met and was loved by all. After Elmer's retirement, Joanne and Elmer used San Angelo as home base and traveled extensively around Texas, visiting family and friends. Joanne continued to live at home with the help and care of her loving family, until a fall in February 2024 resulted in a move to Regency House.

The family wishes to thank the wonderful team at the Shannon Hospital System for their care and support over the years, enabling Joanne to enjoy the best quality of life possible. Also the family thanks Regency House and Concho Hearts Hospice for their excellent and compassionate care, Rita and Debby for their compassionate night care, and Visiting Angels whose support provided much-needed relief to the family. A special thank you to Joanne's dear friend Sandra for her friendship and the many hours of loving care she gave Joanne. Joanne was blessed to have the tremendous dedication of many compassionate medical people and caregivers.