Jo Ann Garmon's Obituary
Jo Ann Garmon 1926-2021
Jo Ann Norred Garmon was born in Wichita Falls, Texas, on September 27, 1926, the only child of Paul and Kathleen Coppock. Jo Ann was an entertainer all her life which started in grade school when her music teacher formed a trio of three good friends and taught them to sing as a trio and named them The Three Smart Girls. Besides entertaining locally, they entertained for the Texas State Fair in Dallas as well as singing on WFAA in Ft. Worth. At the age of fourteen, she took accordion lessons and was a member of the Northsworthy Accordian Band. She extensively entertained for Service Clubs and programs in the area. After graduating from High School she entered Texas State College for Women (now TWU) in Denton, Texas. She was a voice pupil and a member of The Modern Choir, The Modern Dance Group and traveled with The Serenaders, an all-girl orchestra as a specialty accordion soloist. The group traveled twice a month in the campus bus to Veterans Hospitals to perform for injured soldiers returning from the Second World War. As well as a soloist on stage, she also went into the wards to entertain soldiers that were unable to attend the performances. She was selected by the Denton Lions Club to be their club sweetheart where she entertained for the club on various programs. After her freshman year at TSCW, she returned to Wichita Falls and entered Midwestern University. She graduated from the American Institute of Banking and joined City National Bank where she worked for 15 years and with the Parker State Bank for one year. While she was still in Wichita Falls, she was a member of the Wichita Falls Harmony Club; The Optinisses Club; the Iowa Park Hamond Organ Club; A docent at the Wichita Falls Museum of Fine Arts; active in the Wichita Falls Republican Club and a member of the First Presbyterian Church choir and still maintained an active role of entertaining on the accordion as a Pop Organist. She was also a Sister of the Order of Eastern Star of Iowa Park, Texas.
Jo Ann became an avid golfer and was President for two years of the Wichita Falls Country Club Ladies Golf Association, Chairman of the West Texas Junior Girls Golf Association, and President of the Women’s West Texas Golf Association. For several years she made TV commercials for ladies clothing stores; runway modeling and conducting ladies fashion shows. After moving to Dallas, Texas, in 1974, she married Cedric Norred and they maintained furniture factory showrooms in the World Trade Center until Cedric’s death in 1993. After moving to Dallas she still continued her love of golf at the Canyon Creek Country Club where she was active in the Ladies Golf Association and a team member of the Intercity Golf Association. She was a member of Preston West Women’s Republican Club; President of the Dallas Roadrunner Wives Club; President of the Preston Hill Book Club and entertained on the accordion in several Nursing Homes. Her love of fashion led her to the Apparel Mart where she worked for 14 years during markets. After she married Marshall Garmon whom she loved so much, they moved to Plano, Texas, on a golf course. She was a member of the Grace Bible Church, Dallas, and was an active member of the choir, activities of the church and still played her accordion at Christmas time. She is survived by her step children Paula Sibilsky, Sandra Garmon, both of California, and Lori and Sammy Blunk of Corinth, Texas, eight step grandchildren and three step great grandchildren.
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