Joanna Fletcher Beverly

A gentle and gracious spirit left this world on May 27, 2013. Joanna Katherine Fletcher Beverly was born on March 6, 1918, in McColl, S.C. She was the daughter of the late Gordon and Kate Fletcher. After graduating from McColl High School, Jo attended Lander College, graduating in May 1938. In November of that year Jo married Ernest Beverly, a young Army Air Force fighter pilot. Thus began a life of adventure and world travels. They began their married life at Langley Field in Virginia followed by an assignment in Puerto Rico. A few months before Pearl Harbor Joanna returned to South Carolina for the birth of her first child, Mary Jo. Her son, Jerry, had to wait until the end of the war. The Beverly family made numerous moves that took them from the east to the west coast, north and south, then to Japan before finally settling in Asheville, NC, in 1980. Jo and Ernest lived in the Crowfields Condominiums until 2005, when they made their final move to Givens Estates. Jo's family, faith, and community involvement were cornerstones of her life throughout all of the moves. She was active in the local Ikebana chapter and in the Biltmore Forest Garden Club. She was also a member of Central United Methodist Church, attending on a regular basis until her physical conditions made the journey too difficult. Jo is survived by her daughter, Mary Jo Limbird and Mary Jo's husband Glenn of Fairview, NC, and her son Jerry and his wife Anne of San Antonio, Texas. She has three grandsons and six great grandchildren. I Corinthians 13 describes Jo and the way she lived each day. "Love is patient, love is kind.....Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all thing, endures all things" Jo was a beautiful person both inside and out. For those of us who knew and loved her, we have received a rich blessing. We all will miss her sweet smile and gentle manner. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 8, 2013 at 11:00 AM in the Pulliam Chapel at Givens Estates. "Mama Jo", as her grandchildren affectionately called her, always enjoyed the weekly "scenic ride" with her friends in assisted living. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be given to Givens Estates and marked for the "Development Department", 2360 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803. This will go to a fund established to purchase a small bus specifically designed to meet the special needs of the less-mobile and more frail residents of Wood Assisted Living at Givens Estates.