She was born February 12, 1944, in Waterloo, Iowa, daughter of Keith and Cecilia (Mayer) Williams, later Meinders. She married Ken Slickers on June 3, 1967, in West Lafayette, IN; and in 1971 gave birth to a daughter, Jennifer. She was also the proud grandmother (“MiMi”) to two grandsons, Aidan (9) and Benjamin (6).

Jo Ann graduated from Columbus High School, Waterloo, IA, in 1962; graduated with a BA Degree in Home Economics (minor in Art) from the then University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, in 1967; and earned a Masters Degree in Social Work from Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, in 1991.

Jo Ann’s career was far-ranging, as Ken’s work took them to different cities around the country. She was the Director of Recreation at the Indiana State Soldiers Home in Lafayette, IN; a Nutrition Educator for the National Diary Council in Buffalo, NY; and the Senior Citizen Program Coordinator in Perinton, NY. Her finest work, however, began after receiving her MS degree and her certification in Clinical Social Work, when she joined the staff of the VA Hospital in Indianapolis. After an initial year on the Oncology Ward, she moved to the Psychiatry Service. Shortly thereafter she moved her office to the Indiana Veterans Center, where she treated veterans with PTSD and other psychiatric disorders. While there, she quickly evolved to become the primary provider of counseling for veterans suffering from Military Sexual Trauma. She retired after 20 years with the VA; and she and Ken relocated to Lake Oswego, OR to be near Jenny and her family.

Jo Ann is survived in Oregon by her husband, Ken, her daughter, Jennifer (Lynwood) Shannon, and her grandsons, Aidan and Benjamin Shannon. She is survived in Iowa by her sister, Marie (Richard) McDermott, her brother, Michael (Patti) Meinders, and her brother Tom Williams. She is survived in Idaho by her brother, Michael (Roberta) Williams, and Steve Williams; and in Montana by her sister, Tami (James) Jahner, and Robert (Brenda) Williams.

Jo Ann was preceded in death by her mother, Cecilia Meinders, her father, Keith Williams, her step-father, Raymond Meinders, and a sister-in-law, Kathy Meinders.

Memorials may be directed to Planned Parenthood, one of JoAnn’s favorite charities, or to Signature Hospice (Wilsonville, OR); it was the support from Hospice that made it possible for her to die peacefully in her own home.

Jo Ann was a special person to so many people. She brought beauty, peace, and direction wherever she went. She loved her work as a psychotherapist, and the clients who came to her received compassion, comfort, and help in finding a way to deal with their problems. She loved the homes she lived in, decorating each in her own inimitable way, leaving each in a better and more beautiful condition than when she moved in. Most of all she loved her family and friends, giving to each the attention, respect, and assistance whenever she possibly could. She was generous with her time, her help, and her love. Everyone who came in contact with her came away a better person. She was never satisfied with accepting things just because that’s the way they were. She believed in reading, listening, questioning, thinking, learning, and making decisions so that the life she led was truly of her own choosing.

In 2007, on the occasion of her mother’s 90th birthday, Jo Ann wrote a poem that defined the values she had received from her mother and had made her own. Here is that poem:

Things Our Mother Taught Us

That hands were made for work,
For cleaning, gardening or sewing,
For fancy work or factory work at four in the morning, and
No matter how hard things may be, you just keep working.

That good health is everything,
Far more than being rich or poor, short or tall, plain or beautiful,
As long as you have your health
No matter how hard things may be, you just keep rejoicing.

That we are all connected somehow,
Whether by family, hometown or just who you know,
Even though your children make fun of you for it, (and we did)
No matter how hard things may be, you just keep reaching out.

That family loyalty is sacred,
You may have major disagreements and be very angry,
You may not always like each other, but
No matter how hard things may be, you just keep loving each other.

That you do what you have to do,
Whether you are exhausted, lonely or scared,
Even when times are bleak and hopeless,
No matter how hard things may be, you just keep going.

That life is precious,
You just keep working, you just keep rejoicing,
You just keep reaching out, you just keep loving each other, and
No matter how hard things may be, you just keep going on.