Jo Ann Simpson

Jo Ann Simpson was born on June 3, 1956 in Sterling, Illinois to Kenneth and Gertrude Kosier. She is survived by her son, Ian Simpson (Michaela) of Root, Switzerland, brother Ken Kosier (Elaine) of Verona, WI, sister Jeanette Kosier of Peoria, IL as well as partner Steven Ourada. She was preceded in death by her former husband, Ceber T. Simpson of Bloomington, IN. She was a resident of Winterset, IA since 2022.

After graduating from Sterling High School, Jo Ann attended Purdue University and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Agronomy with the ambition to use her education in the Peace Corps. However, instead she met Ceber Simpson, a graduate student of physics at Purdue. Ceber introduced Jo Ann to the Christian fellowship and Jo Ann made a profession of her faith in 1977. Ceber and Jo Ann were married on February 4, 1978 at Jo Ann’s family home in Sterling, Illinois.

Their son Ian was born in Lafayette, IN on October 21, 1980. Soon afterwards, the family moved to Indianapolis, living first on Wentworth Blvd and later on Woodcrest Dr near Greenfield.

After being a housewife and caring for her son in his early school years, Jo Ann took up the pursuit of education again and completed her teacher’s training with a degree from IUPUI in Indianapolis. She would go on to work as a substitute teacher and as a volunteer in the AmeriCorps program within the Mt. Vernon Community School system. She later took over the directorship of the AmeriCorps program at Mt. Vernon for 2 years.

In 2001, Jo Ann and Ceber separated, and she moved to Ames, Iowa where she worked in the local school system as a substitute teacher. Later she became director of children’s programs at Reiman Gardens in Ames. In 2011, Jo Ann completed a Master’s Degree in Sociology at Iowa State University with a thesis on “The diffusion of sustainability activism at an American university”.

In her later years, Jo Ann worked part-time as a research project coordinator at Iowa State University and as a teacher’s aide for special needs children in the Ames school system.

During her time in Iowa, she was accompanied and supported by her partner Steven Ourada, with whom she shared a deep interest in technology and research.

Jo Ann was a passionate gardener and craftswoman and many of her friends and family were the recipients of her artistic, hand-made paintings, drawings, and gifts of all varieties.

She was also a keen blogger on her A Passion for Green blog and an unpublished author of multiple fiction books about the world after a global pandemic, which she wrote from 2003 – 2008.

On August 24th, Jo Ann made the journey from Iowa to Switzerland to visit her son Ian and his wife Michaela. After a two-week stay, she returned to the United States and shortly after took ill with covid.

She passed away on September 20th in Omaha, Nebraska under medical care, with her partner Steven and sister Jeanette at her side.

A memorial service will be held 3:00 PM, Wednesday, September 25 at Caldwell-Parrish Funeral Home – Winterset Chapel, Winterset, Iowa. Family will receive friends 1 hour prior to the service on Wednesday.