Jo Ann Pierce of Duncan, OK, has passed away, leaving behind a family and community who loved her dearly.
What you read below is one part of a life lived with quiet purpose.
Jo held deeply to the Methodist faith — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew her best.
What is held in faith is rarely lost.
Jo Ann Pierce, 94, of Duncan, Oklahoma, went to her heavenly home on Friday, May 1, 2026. She was born September 19, 1931, in Devol, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of Abner Davis Green, Sr. and Lela Virginia Allgood Green who started farming in southwest Cotton County in the Cookietown area in1929. Jo Ann grew up on that family farm, learning early the value of steady work and a life rooted in faith. She helped in the gardens her mother planted, excelled in school, and shined on the basketball court-where she was known as a star. Music was one of her greatest gifts: she played the piano each Sunday while her daddy led the singing at church, and she could play nearly any song by ear. Jo Ann loved her siblings dearly-her brother, Abner Davis Green, Jr., and her sister, Gloria McCoy. In later years, the families made countless memories traveling and camping together as their seven children grew up side by side. On December 24, 1949, Jo Ann married Teddy Pierce while they were attending Cameron University. She was welcomed warmly into Duncan by Teddy's parents, Theodore Roosevelt Pierce and Bridgie Bernice London Pierce, who helped her feel right at home in her new city life. Jo Ann and Teddy made their home in Duncan until Teddy entered the U.S. Army's 45th Division, and the couple was stationed in Hobbs, New Mexico. Their son, Joe, was born in 1951, followed by their daughter Brenda in 1954. The family later returned to Duncan and were charter members of Wesley United Methodist Church. After Teddy began working for Frontier Airlines in Lawton, they joined First Methodist Church, where Jo Ann especially enjoyed helping with the "Golden Age Dinners" each month. Their third child, Melinda, was born in 1963. Gifted with both skill and a caring touch, Jo Ann operated a very successful beauty shop out of her home. In 1979, she and Teddy returned to Duncan, shortly after the birth of their first grandchild, Nikki. Jo Ann then became a full-time homemaker and lovingly cared for Nikki so her mother could teach at Horace Mann Elementary School. Above all, Jo Ann treasured family time-especially the Sunday dinners she cooked for everyone, a tradition that drew her loved ones together again and again. After Teddy passed away on July 14, 2001, Jo Ann found joy in gardening and sharing the abundance of her vegetables with neighbors. Her flowers were always blooming, and their yard won "Yard of the Month" more than once. Those who knew her loved to say she could "plant a dead stick" and make it grow. Nature was more than a pastime for Jo Ann, her cultivation of flowers and plants signified beauty, patience, and a deep appreciation for the natural world that she grew up in on the farm. Of all the flowers, pink and purple were her favorites. Tomatoes, green onions, cucumbers, and squash all bore the mark of her green thumb. In Duncan, Jo Ann and Teddy became members of St. Paul's Methodist Church. Jo Ann faithfully served behind the scenes-folding church programs each week and helping with the church's traditional turkey-and-dressing dinners for many years. Jo Ann and Teddy had three children, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren, with a sixth great-grandchild expected in October 2026. Survivors include her son, Joe Nathan Theodore Pierce and wife Jo Ann of Duncan, Oklahoma; their children: Amy Nicole "Nikki" Pierce Wolff and husband Jeff of Dallas, Texas, and Kelsey Theodore Pierce and wife Lauren of Tulsa, Oklahoma, along with their children, Teddy Owen Pierce and Vivienne Lauren Pierce. She is also survived by her daughter, Brenda Ann Pierce Trotter, and Brenda's children: John Henry Trotter and wife Durgan of Anadarko, Oklahoma, and their daughter, Dayleigh Grace Trotter; and Jodi Lee Trotter Huddleston and husband Jamie, and their children, William Hunter Benton, Joseph Nathan Howard Benton, and Brooke Lynn Benton. She is further survived through the family of her late daughter, Melinda Pierce Douglas, including Melinda's husband, Willie Douglas of Marietta, Oklahoma, and their sons, Willie Lee "Will" Douglas and wife Ellie of Dallas, Texas, and Tanner Pierce Douglas of Los Angeles, California. A funeral service is planned for 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at St. Paul's Methodist Church, 1705 W. Beech, in Duncan with David Gardner officiating. Interment will follow in the Duncan Municipal Cemetery under the direction of Whitt Funeral Home. Serving as pallbearers are Tanner Douglas, Will Douglas, John Trotter, Willie Douglas, Kelsey Pierce, and Jeff Wolff. If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Paul's Methodist Church in Jo Ann's memory. Online condolences can be made at www.whittfh.com.
