JoAnn (Thomas) Watkins, 77, of Blair, died Thursday, May 26, 2011, at Memorial Community Hospital in Blair.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 31 at First United Methodist Church in Blair. Interment will be in the Blair Cemetery.

Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. Monday, May 30, at Campbell-Aman Funeral Home, with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m.

JoAnn Thomas was born on August 16, 1933, in Omaha to Vernon and Lois (Salleng) Thomas.

She married Eldon Jones on Sept. 27, 1949. They had two daughters, Diana and Jackie. Mr. Jones died in October of 1967. On April 19, 1969, she married John Watkins, a widower, who had two small children, Beth and Mark.

The couple ran the Watkins Village Inn on Washington Street, later moving the business to 15th and Washington (now the location of Country Gardens) for 16 years. Mr. Watkins was part owner of M&W Plumbing. After his retirement, Mrs. Watkins could be found "riding shotgun" in the plumbing truck. She was the "go-fer" on those small plumbing jobs.

She loved to bowl and belonged to the Monday Afternoon League at Kelley's North Bowl with her partner, Asa Albus. She also bowled in the Tuesday night league in Blair with Nadine Sorensen, Imogene Lutz, Julie Sluester and Roxanne Hison. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary and Stroke Caregivers support group.

She worked as a waitress most of her life and enjoyed the camaraderie with the customers and many friends.

She was extremely proud of her grandchildren and especially delighted with the arrival of her great-grandchildren.

She is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Jackie Jones of Longmont, Colo.; Diana and Larry Stier of Blair; Beth and Jim Jones of Tekamah; son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Darci Watkins of Omaha; grandchildren Echo and Dean Ulmer, Wischett, N.D.; Chris and Lindsay Stier of Papillion; Mike and Allison Jones of Tekamah, Amber Jones and David Rief of Lyons, Carissa Stier and Aaron Derney of Blair; Ben Watkins and Ellie Watkins of Omaha; and great-grandchildren Reagan Ulmer, Will Jones and Ainslee Stier.

She was preceded in death by her spouses and brothers, Glenn, Jerry and Ernest Thomas.

Memorials are to be directed to The Blair Fire and Rescue Department and the Blair American Legion.