EVELYN JOAN SEARLE

Evelyn Joan Searle of Huntsville, Missouri, died at Shepard of the Hills Living Center in Branson, Missouri, on August 13, 2022. She was 94 years old. Joan was born to Archie and Oleva (Scriven) Payton on a farm near Novinger, Missouri, on June 23, 1928. She married John Owen Searle in Davenport, Iowa on April 29, 1950.

Joan was a 1945 graduate of Green City High School and attended Kirksville State Teacher’s College. Joan and her husband John farmed near Geneseo, Illinois, and later farmed near Canton, LaBelle, and Huntsville, Missouri.

In her earlier years, Joan served as a 4-H Club leader, Girl Scout Brownie leader, and a Sunday School Teacher at Church. She was a charter member and served on the Lewis County Fair Board for 20 years. While on the fair board, Joan served as the publicity chairman and was responsible for coordinating the annual Lewis County Fair Book.

When Joan was younger, she was employed as a typist for International Shoe Company, a stenographer and sales clerk for the Aloe Surgical Supply Store, and a stenographer for the Schneider Brothers Construction Company, all in Kirksville, Missouri. In 1948, she was employed as a stenographer and typist at the J.I. Case sales branch office in Bettendorf, Iowa. In the early 1950’s, Joan was employed as a secretary at the Hussman Aircraft Company and as secretary to the president of the American Beauty Macaroni Company, both in St. Louis, Missouri. After Joan and her husband John moved to the farm near Canton, Missouri, she worked as a radio inspector at the Motorola Radio Company in Quincy, Illinois.

She is a member of the LaBelle American Legion Auxiliary and a member of the Mt. Shiloh Baptist Church in Darksville, Missouri. Her past hobbies include writing, photography, reading, playing the piano, and gardening.

Joan is survived by a son, John Duane Searle of Columbia, Missouri, and a daughter Carolyn Searle of Branson, Missouri. She is also survived by a sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth and Keith Albertson of Apex, North Carolina, an aunt Mildred Allison of Davenport, Iowa, and numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins. Joan was preceded in death by her husband John Searle, parents, Archie and Oleva Payton, a brother Carlos Payton, a brother and sister-in-law Alan and Mary Payton, an infant sister, Violet June Payton, a brother-in-law and sister-in-law Howard and Barbara Searle and a great niece Tabatha Crockett.

Funeral services will be Thursday, August 18, 2022, at 11 am at the Mt. Shiloh Baptist Church in Darksville, Missouri with Pastor Bob Korff officiating. Visitation will be Thursday morning from 10 am until the time of the service at the church.
Internment will be in the Park View Memorial Gardens in Kirksville, MO at 2:30 pm.
Memorials may be made to Mt. Shiloh Baptist Church in Darksville, Missouri.
Arrangements are under the direction of Patton Funeral Home in Huntsville, MO.