JoAnn Brown Weakley, age 86, of Southside, passed away on September 10, 2021. A graveside service will be held on Friday, September 17, 2021, at 11 a.m. at Southside Cemetery to celebrate the life of JoAnn and her beloved husband Glenn who followed her in passing just three days later.
JoAnn was born in Pickett County, TN to Wonna Mae Williams Brown and Millard M. Brown. At the age of 9, she was saved and baptized by her future father-in-law. As a child, JoAnn spent many happy years at Highland Mountain in Overton County. On May 3, 1952, she married her childhood sweetheart Glenn Weakley. They lived happily on their farm in Southside for 69 years. JoAnn was a faithful member of Southside United Methodist church for almost 70 years. She was a 1952 graduate of Livingston Academy and later graduated Cum Laude from Austin Peay State University in 1972.
While attending Austin Peay JoAnn taught 5th grade in Dickson Co. Her love of teaching and history helped fuel hers and Glenn’s dream of rebuilding the settlement of Collinsville, which they started in 1974. They opened Historic Collinsville to the public in May of 1997, where they operated the land and 18 buildings until they sold it to Montgomery County in November of 2018.
JoAnn owned Weakley Business Services for 27 years. After selling to Stone Rudolph and Henry in 2014 she continued to work with them until she officially retired from accounting in 2019.
In addition to her parents, JoAnn is preceded in death by her brother, Millard (Buster) Brown Jr., and infant daughter Melissa Ann. She is survived by several nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Michael Armistead, Sandy Armistead, Mike Wyatt, Gene Morgan, Ben Carroll, and Steve Springer. Honorary pallbearers are Lucian Wyatt, Don DeWitt, Dave Williams, Buddy Grimes, and Bruce Cain.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Southside Cemetery Fund c/o Ben Workman 4780 Chapel Hill Road, Southside, TN 37171.