Joan Marie Barnhill

Joan Marie (Mount) Barnhill, age 83, of Jefferson City, TN, passed away on November 14, 2022, after a long struggle with Alzheimer's.  A wonderful wife, sister, mother and grandmother, Joan is survived by her husband John, daughter Audrey (Gregg) Deneui of Torrance, CA, son Joel (Krysti) Barnhill of Cincinnati, OH and five adult grandchildren –Lenore (Isaiah) Simpson, Matthew and Scott Deneui, and Brady and Baylie Barnhill.  She has one living sister, Eleanor Monn of Johnson City, TN, and 19 nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her father Ralph Mount, mother Eleanor (Bundock) Mount, stepmother Marianna (Russell) Mount and her brother David Mount.

Joan completed her B.A. degree in education at Ashland University (Ashland, OH) and her M.A. at Mt. St. Joseph University (Cincinnati, OH). Joan taught for many years in the Hillsdale and Loudonville-Perrysville school districts of Ashland County, OH.  She also taught teacher workshops for several years through Performance Learning Systems through Mt. St. Joseph University.

Joan always had a love for the many stories in the Bible and at age 11 started teaching them to children at her church using flannel graph.  Expanding her collection of flannel graph over the years, she continued Bible teaching, which culminated in her and John being invited in 2005 to teach English through storytelling for a year at HONAM University in Gwangju, South Korea.

Joan and John served as a host family to international families attending Carson Newman University, in Jefferson City, TN, from 2006 until the pandemic. She was an active member of the Jefferson City First Baptist Church and taught children’s Sunday School classes in all of the communities in which they lived.

Joan was a renowned cook.  Her homemade pies, home-canned fruits, fresh-baked bread and decadent desserts were incredible!  She would often provide meals to families in need, bake bread or cookies for neighbors and on numerous occasions, fed large groups of young adults at their house.

Although a gifted teacher and cook, Joan’s favorite hobby was watching wildlife, especially birds and waterfowl, and she had a special interest in bats. Using bat plush toys, puppets, and photos, she made many presentations to children’s groups, at state parks and nature centers about the environmental benefits of bats.

Joan had a strong faith in the Lord, was loved by her family and all who knew her and will be greatly missed.  A celebration of her life will be held on December 6, 2022, at the First Baptist Church on Russell Avenue in Jefferson City, TN.  Visitation will begin at 4:30 pm and a memorial service at 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Jefferson City or Alzheimer’s Disease Research.

Services provided by Resthaven Funeral Home | Cemetery |  Cremations 

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