Jo Ann Heaton, 84, of Great Bend, died Oct. 15 at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center, Great Bend. She was born Aug. 25, 1926, at Pittsburg, the daughter of Earl S. and Ida Lucille (Switzer) Jeffries. She married James Francis Heaton on May 25, 1950, at All Faiths Chapel on the campus of Kansas State University, Manhattan. He died Oct. 10, 2010. She was a 1944 graduate of Argentine High School, Kansas City, Kan., and a 1948 graduate of Kansas State University. She was a Great Bend resident since 1950, coming from Kansas City, Kan., and Pittsburg.

Mrs. Heaton was a member of First United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, of which she was a past president. She was a Girl Scout volunteer for 35 years and was awarded the Thanks Badge, the highest honor given to volunteers in the Girl Scouts organization. She was a psast member of the Kansas State University Alumni Association Board of Directors; a past member of the Central KansasCouncil of Girl Scouts Board; residential drive chairman for the Great Bend United Way campaign; was past president of chapter FS, PEO Sisterhood; and was past president of Progress STudy Club; Mr. and Mrs. Heaton were recipients of the Distinguished Service Award from Barton Community College in 1995.

Survivors include one son, David Heaton of Tampa, Fla.; one daughter, Jane Rees and husband Doug of Colorado Springs, Colo.; two grandchildren, MIndi (Rees) Salamon and husband Jon, and Evan Rees and wife Megan; and two great-grandchildren, Tatum Elizabeth Salamon and Brandon Salamon. She was preceded in death by one brother, Winston E. Jeffries.

Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at First United Methodist Chuirch, Great Bend, with the Rev. Tom Sheldon officiant. Interment will be at the Great Bend Cemetery. visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m . today at Bryant Funeral Home, with the family receiving friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Donations to memorial funds for First United Methodist Church or for the Barton Community College Foundation may be made in care of the funeral home.Condolences may be sent and notice viewed at www.bryantfh.net.

Funeral arrangements provided by

Bryant Funeral Home*

1425 Patton Road

Great Bend, KS 67530

620-793-3525

Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Oct. 17, 2010