JoElla Rosemary Ronnebaum

JoElla Rosemary (Stallbaumer) Ronnebaum, 87, of Centralia, passed away on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at Onaga Hospital in Onaga, Kansas.

JoElla was born on April 1, 1938, in Centralia to Elmer and Josephine (Rethman) Stallbaumer. She was the fifth of ten children. She grew up west of Corning and attended St. Patrick's School in Corning, where she graduated in 1956 and was a cheerleader.

She married George Ronnebaum on August 21, 1956, at St. Patrick's Church in Corning. George and JoElla celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary in August of this year. Throughout their marriage, they were rarely apart, sharing a deep bond. After George's passing on November 5, 2025, JoElla followed just 39 days later, a testament to the love they shared and her longing to be reunited with him. Together, they raised their seven children in the Corning/Centralia area.

JoElla was a proud, lifelong member of St. Patrick's Church and the Altar Society in Corning, where she also taught CCD classes for many years.

JoElla was a caregiver and homemaker who found her deepest purpose in caring for children. Prior to marrying George, she worked for neighboring families, helping care for their young children. She later poured that same love and dedication into raising her own family, taking great pride in each of her children. After raising her seven children, JoElla was always willing and happy to provide daycare for her grandchildren.

JoElla's hard work was evident in the way she cared for her home and family. She rarely took time to sit and rest, cooking three home-cooked meals a day, seven days a week, except when there was a game of pitch being played or a church picnic to attend. Loved ones were often given a small chore-not as an expectation, but as JoElla's way of keeping the visit going a little longer. Her home was a place where hard work, faith, and love were closely intertwined.
Her faith was the guiding force in her life, and she found great joy in sharing it with her children and grandchildren. Any weekend visitor could expect to be asked where they attended Mass-a question offered with sincerity rather than judgment. Regardless of the answer, everyone was welcomed to her weekly roast beef dinner.

JoElla was preceded in death by her husband, George, on November 5, 2025; a grandson, Jason Ronnebaum and a granddaughter Paula Ronnebaum; her parents, Elmer and Josephine Stallbaumer; her brothers, Larry Joe Stallbaumer, Galen Stallbaumer, and Donald Stallbaumer; and her sisters, Patricia Lierz and Darlene Nolte Roeder.

She is survived by her seven children: Jane (Sam) McClain of Onaga; Dennis (Bernice) Ronnebaum of Centralia; George Jr. (Tiffany) Ronnebaum of Onaga; Donna Ronnebaum of Onaga; Betty (Scott) Merriman of Onaga; Mark (Darlene) Ronnebaum of Centralia; and Cathy Joseph of Frankfort. She is also survived by 22 grandchildren, 38 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren. Additional survivors include her siblings, Mary Shepherd, Diane McConnaughey, Linda Feldkamp, and Gerald Stallbaumer, all of Topeka.

Rosaries will be prayed at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 17, at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, December 18, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church in Corning. Burial will follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery in Corning, Kansas. Memorial contributions may be to the Ronald McDonald House in Topeka and sent in care of the family.