Marjorie Joanne Lovejoy Reese was born September 22, 1926 in Neligh, Nebraska, the only child of ten to be born in a hospital, the other 9 having been born on the family ranch 17 miles south of Valentine.

Joanne loved her bookkeeping, as that was her passion. After graduating from high school, she worked for the First National Bank for Mr. Quin Mom said if you were one penny off when closing he’d make everyone stay until it was accounted for, sometimes having a late dinner. Mom was never one for gardening, cooking or sewing things. She had sisters who sewed patches and always made lots of goodies they dropped off or shared on family occasions.

In later years, you could almost always find Joanne, Cliff and son Chester sometime or another at the Vet’s Club enjoying a cold beverage and playing pickle cards with the other veterans and friends, as the door there is always open to everyone. She was a member of the Veteran’s Ladies Auxiliary.

She married Clifford Reese May 4, 1946. They were a team in all their business ventures starting with a western clothing store in Valentine. They then wanted to see a different part of the country and moved to Tyler, Texas, purchasing a motel. Joanne and Cliff always said the motel business was no different than milking cows. It’s a seven day a week job, 24 hours a day. Like they always said, people of the Sandhills have too much sand in their shoes, so they returned home.

Joanne and Cliff purchased the propane business from Lawrence and Hazel Clements January 1, 1960. It was a long haul for quite a while, as they both worked long and hard to make it what it is today. Joanne was very meticulous, going over every invoice making sure it was billed to the right place. She kept working after Cliff passed away until her health failed. She was not a fan of computers. She decided to step aside at the ripe old age of 84. The last few years, Cherry Hills was called home, where she enjoyed playing cards, bingo, putting puzzles together and the local entertainment that came to play music.

Joanne passed away October 19, 2017 at the Cherry County Hospital in Valentine.

She was the last of 10 children born to Daniel Homer and Leona (Tetherow) Lovejoy. Preceded in death by husband Cliff; son Chester; siblings: Ennis Richardson, Hal Lovejoy, Mae Brennon, Irish Lovejoy, Helen Sears, Freda Cozad, Lela Baker, George Lovejoy and Chester ‘Sonny’ Lovejoy. She is survived by son Richard (Kathleen) Reese and grandson Eric (Nancy) Reese of Valentine, granddaughter Ruth Ann (Wade) Tinant and great granddaughter Charlee of Phoenix and a host of nephews and nieces.

Services were held Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at the Presbyterian Church in Valentine with burial following at Mount Hope Cemetery. Holmes Funeral Home was entrusted with the arrangements. Memorials may be made in care of the family to the Vet’s Club.

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