Joann Frazell

Jo Ann Frazell, age 82 of Lincoln, passed away at home on June 28, 2023. She was born on April 20, 1941 in Maywood, Nebraska to Archie and Gurnie (Fong) Frazell. In the local paper it was announced she would be named Wilhelmina Katrinka, noting Wilhelmina was just an “alias" and the new arrival would be actually named Jo Ann Frazell.

Growing up the daughter of a high school superintendent and football coach, Jo had education, competition, fun, and football in her genes. In 1955, she won the Garden County district spelling bee by clinching the victory with a correct spelling of “skiing”. In 1959, she graduated from Lewellen Rural High School, delivering the valedictorian address to her fellow graduates, all six of them, many of whom she would continue to remain in close contact with throughout her life.

Always looking up to her brother Don, she followed his educational path by enrolling at Nebraska Wesleyan and joining the Phi Mu sorority, living both in the sorority house and the “annex” house. It was in the annex house where she and her sorority sisters shared eight bunk beds in the living room and received secret pizza deliveries through a basement window by the boyfriend of one of her “sisters". Graduating in 1963 with a Bachelor's degree in English and Commerce, Jo Ann began her career at Milford High School teaching commercial subjects with the added responsibility as the Pep Club sponsor. In 1968 she furthered her education and received her Masters of Education degree from the University of Nebraska.

Also teaching in Holdrege and Platteview-SpringField high schools, she moved to Lincoln working at Southeast Community College as an instructor and supervisor of the new secretarial program. In 1990, she was selected as the Outstanding Post-Secondary Teacher of the Year by the Nebraska Business Education Association (NBEA). She was also named to the Business Education Advisory Board at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After a 30-year career that started with classes in shorthand, mimeograph machines, and typewriters, she retired in 2006 using computers and teaching classes on the latest technology.

Family, friends, animals, and fun were the loves of her life, as well as chocolate, anything blue, the Kansas City Chiefs, and Larry. If you were a friend of Jo’s, she would always send a birthday card, organize a lunch with one of her many lunch groups, offer a ride, and always make you feel special. She was an amazing aunt, always showing up on Christmas Day, toting her famous big red Santa sack, with gifts for her nephew Dave and niece Deb, and later for her great niece and nephew, Avery and Leyton.

Jo loved to travel, making annual trips to high school reunions in Lewellen, attending Chiefs games with Larry in Kansas City, and road trips to Colorado and Idaho, where she insisted to be in the driver's seat, to visit family and friends. She even road tripped to Omaha to try out to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.

Lastly Jo loved animals. Over her life she provided a loving home for many rescue dogs and cats. Pepper, Suzie, Lucky, Lady, Tramp, Skeezix, Thelma, and Louise were just a few that were lucky to call Jo’s place their home.

She is preceded in death by her parents Archie and Gurnie (Fong) Frazell, brother Donald and sister-in-law Elaine (Kadavy) Frazell. She is survived by Larry Speer, nephew Dave (Nancy Lasich) Frazell of Littleton, CO; niece, Deb (Kirk) Bamesberger of Broomfield, CO; great niece, Avery Bamesberger; great nephew, Leyton Bamesberger along with many cousins, friends, and sorority sisters.

A family gathering with friends will be at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 5 2023 at St. Mark’s Methodist Church with Memorial service at 11:00 a.m.

Memorials may be directed to the Capital Human Society.