Joann Buscher

Joann Buscher of Abilene, Texas crossed the river to be with Jesus on March 25, 2015 after a short illness. A memorial mass will be held at 10:00am, Monday, March 30 at Holy Family Catholic Church with Father Sam Matthiesen officiating. Arrangements are through The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene. Joann was born August, 20, 1927 in Cherokee, Oklahoma to James Matthew and Alice Sue Long Rea. She graduated from Hoisington High School in Kansas. She and her best friend since 7th grade, Mary Lou Birdsong, then went to work for the US Government in Washington, DC during the war effort in World War II. Mary Lou began dating (and later married) Wendel Kenyon, who introduced Joann to his best friend Donald Buscher, a Navy man. Joann and Don married in 1946. The couples remained lifelong friends. Joann embraced Don’s family and his beloved Catholic Church. While Don worked for the phone company in West Virginia, Joann was a homemaker. They raised three sons. She later worked in retail, where she could be surrounded by beautiful clothing and accessories. After his retirement in 1986, Don and Joann moved to Sweetwater to be closer to her family. She moved to Abilene after Don’s death and shared a home with her sister Marilyn. Joann was involved with her church, neighborhood community, share group, book club, Red Hats, and the Abilene Public Library to satisfy her love of reading. Joann is survived by sons Michael (Theresa) of Atlanta, Georgia; Patrick (Cindy) of Weatherford; Tom (Debbie) of Charleston, West Virginia, and their sister Cathy (Rusty) Sansone of Hilton Head, South Carolina. She is also survived by her sister Marilyn Smith of Abilene and brother Jim (Hammer) Rea of Whitney; grandchildren Ann Marie (Jeff) Sabol, Kristen (Alex) Frazee, Joshua (Bethany), Meredith, Tom (Caroline), Adam, Jonathan, Heidi, Holly, April (Brad) Spears, Sammy; great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Holy Family Catholic Church, 5410 Buffalo Gap Rd., Abilene, TX 79606, or the Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar Street, Abilene, TX 79601. The family wishes to extend sincere thanks to Holy Family Catholic Church, neighbors of Kings Cross, and Drs. Joseph Ferguson, Toby Williams, Shannon Cooke and Nancy Daggubati.