JoAnne Theresa Longacre

JoAnne Theresa Longacre (Moderau), born February 16, 1932, passed into eternity on December 17, 2020. She was preceded in death by her parents, Sylvia (Hartman) Moderau and Herman Moderau; her brother, Herman Moderau; her niece, Michelle (Clark) Moderau; her former daughter-in-law, Barb (Roxy) Uthe; and grandson Jonas Longacre. She has gone to join them.

JoAnne is survived by her large loving family, including her husband of 65 years, Jack Longacre; her four children, Mark Longacre (Nancy Hiller), Gregg Longacre, Amy Shanahan (Patrick), and Dan Longacre (MaryKay); ten grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. JoAnne could not have been happier to have this large family. From childhood she had always wanted to be a mother. When she found out that she was pregnant early in her marriage she told the doctor that she could not be happier – she was finally going to have her own baby. She went on to have three more children, all of them loved and cherished. She outfitted each of her children throughout their lives with handmade clothing, did alterations, and made baby blankets, among many other projects that came out of her sewing room. There was not a bit of clothing that she could not alter, fix, or make; she was a very talented, self-taught seamstress.

In addition to her human family JoAnne loved her animals. Dogs from old – Charlie, Freckles, Porsha, several Heidis – and her beloved Max, along with several cats. A neighbor once said that when she died she wanted to come back to life as one of JoAnne’s pets. They were loved, cared for, and fussed over, just like her children.

JoAnne lived for over 50 years with Jack in their home on Laurel Street, a home filled with pictures of all the ancestors, children, and grandchildren, not far from the home where she had lived as a young girl while attending Weston School.

Wife, mother, gramma, and mother-in-law, you will be missed. We have all been blessed to know and love you.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date when it is safe to gather again. Stemm-Lawson-Peterson, 1531 Cobblestone Blvd., Elkhart, IN 46514 is assisting the Longacre family.