Joan Kitchens Myers

March 26, 1934 - Sept. 14, 2022

Joan Kitchens Myers was born in 1934 in the foothills of Appalachia. She was fostered by Ervin and Anna Kitchens of Hayesville, North Carolina and raised as sister to their young child, Helen. In 1937 the family relocated to Mt. Berry, Georgia when Mr. and Mrs. Kitchens took staff jobs at the Berry schools. Joan grew up in the Possum Trot community, living in the Berry-owned log house there and attending Possum Trot primary school. Joan was a 1950 graduate of Berry High School and attended Berry College for a year before becoming employed by Southern Bell in Rome as a long distance telephone operator. Married to Ray Myers at age 18, within a few years Joan became a full-time mother and homemaker. She was a skilled seamstress, building on the family's wardrobe and taking on tailoring projects for friends such as custom-fitting bridesmaid's dresses and band uniforms. Joan also kept a large kitchen garden, preserving produce for the winter. Over the years she provided one-on-one daycare for the young children of friends and several teachers at Coosa High School. After her own children were grown, and following divorce, Joan seemed to find her career calling. She worked for over a decade as a pre-kindergarten teacher's aide at Darlington School. She delighted in watching and helping young children learn and grow. She also provided after-school care for students at the school and worked at the school's summer day camp. A member of Mt. Alto Baptist Church for 70 years, Joan often volunteered to help with church events and to aid members of the church community. With retirement she became more active with Daughters of Berry, and often volunteered to help with Berry reunion and alumni events. Joan also turned to flower gardening and became an avid bird watcher during retirement. She enjoyed travelling with friends and church groups whenever possible, visiting diverse locations from Florida to Maine, from Yuma to Niagara Falls, from San Diego to Victoria, BC. In declining health in 2019, Joan moved to live with her daughter and family in Renton, Washington. It was during the time of the pandemic shut-in that she happily learned of the existence of two first cousins, nieces of her birth mother. A correspondence began that brightened Joan's final years. On September 14, 2022, Joan passed away of age-related natural causes after a week-long hospitalization. She was preceded in death by parents Ervin and Anna Kitchens, sisters Hazel Kitchens Wood and Helen Kitchens Hardin Gentry. She is survived by son Steve Myers and wife Susan of Burbank, CA, by daughter Jill Jones and husband Craig, grandchildren Derek and Kyleigh Jones, cousins Renee Parsons of CO and Gail Parsons McLaughlin of PA. Joan also leaves behind many nieces, nephews and friends. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 19 at 3:00 pm at Mt. Alto Baptist Church, 1915 Huffaker Road, Rome, GA. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to Joan's favorite charity, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (stjude.org).