Joan Marjorie Elmore, 79, of Zapata, Texas, died on Thanksgiving Day after a fourteen year struggle with Alzheimer's. She was renowned for her disinterest in gender-defining work roles and her love of odd-ball cats and St. Bernards, strong family ties, and zest for reading.

The wife of Allan Leroy Elmore, her loving husband of 40 years, she was raised in the small farming community of New Boston, Iowa, on May 3, 1943. Her parents, Richard and Marjorie Stonehouse, purchased the family farm when she was a young girl, a place that taught her to be her own person, persevere in difficult times, and respect cows named Bossy.

Known for her independent spirit, she had several careers, some in areas where few women worked at the time, including stints as the first woman prison guard at the men's penitentiary in Fort Madison, Iowa, as a corrections officer at a half-way house in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and a long distance truck driver. In her 50's, she returned to college, graduating from Western Illinois University in Macomb, with a degree in sociology. Ever a champion of those in need, she finished her career as a social worker in Houston, Texas, working for Child Protective Services (CPS), where she was one of many helping the victims of Louisiana's category 5 Hurricane, Katrina, displaced to the Astro Dome in 2005.

She and her husband were often seen taking long trips on their motorcycle or Can Am, a three-wheeled bike. On such trips, she was known to read on the back of the bike as her husband drove. It was not a trait her children encouraged, though they accepted the disregard of their protestations on this and most other matters.

Her cookies and pies will be greatly missed.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son Eric Wyatt of Seattle, WA, daughters Donna Fenton, Patricia Williams of Burlington, Iowa; grandsons, Ben Lofthus, John Eric Fenton, Henry Wyatt, Cody Stange and Jaycob Elmore; granddaughters Jessica Fenton, Erica Lofthus, Halle Wyatt, Stephanie Stange and Lily Elmore. She also leaves behind her brother, Rodney Stonehouse; Sisters Louise Harvey and Sharon Stonehouse; as well as stepsons Bryan and Daryn Elmore aka Mr. D, and stepdaughter Tammy Stage. Mrs. Elmore was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Emily Lofthus, her brother, Dick Stonehouse, and several cats.

The family would like to give thanks to the staff at Falcon Lake Nursing Home for their kindness and care in her last years.

A celebration of her life will be held this May in Burlington, Iowa.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday December 1, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. at United Methodist Church in Zapata, Texas.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Rose Garden Funeral Home Daniel A. Gonzalez, Funeral Director, 2102 N. US HWY 83 Zapata, Texas.