JoAnn Leaton (Eller) Moore

JoAnn began her life in 1931 in Hannibal, Missouri, as the youngest of six children during the Great Depression. Three of her siblings served in the military, so she understood the call to duty and service early in her life when they left for World War II.

As a teenager, Jo, as her family called her, loved riding the streetcar in St Louis and working as a carhop for the hot dog stand. Not long after high school, she joined the Marines as a clerk-typist, though she never thought she was good at it. She wasn't in the military long before she married and started a family in New York.

Over the next decade of her life, three of her children were born Harold, Suzi, and Debbie. She worked hard as a wife and mom and took on odd jobs to make ends meet. Although she attended church all of her life, it was at the Billy Graham Crusade at Madison Square Garden where she made a personal commitment to Christ.

JoAnn met difficult circumstances with faith and resolve. When her marriage was over, and she faced the reality of being a single mom with three small children, she started a new chapter of her life back in Missouri.
During this season, she remarried and had her fourth child, JudyAnn, remodeled homes, and started a business. JoAnn was in her element at the auction house. She loved a good deal, and she had a knack for finding value in everyday items.

This ability served her well when she moved to a farm in Center where her tenacity and work ethic enabled her to run a farm, care for a spouse with poor health, learn woodworking, care for foster children, and finish raising her family. 

After that 20-year chapter came to a close, JoAnn spent the next 35 years of her life with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She spent time living with each of her four children, serving them, working alongside them as they pursued their goals and dreams. As mom and grandma, she took joy in rocking babies, cooking, whelping puppies, remodeling houses, attending sporting events, preparing for moves, building churches, selling t-shirts, and babysitting. It didn't matter what her family was doing; she loved being part of it. 

During this time, family traditions were cemented as she taught three generations about making pizza, custard, sweet rolls, and Christmas stollen. She enjoyed puzzles and playing games, especially Scrabble.
JoAnn was generous and hospitable, ready with a meal for anyone who showed up. A care-giver to many throughout her life, and even when she needed a home health aid for assistance, she insisted on making their breakfast. 

She was realistic, yet optimistic, and as resilient as anyone you'd ever meet. As much as she offered a listening ear, she was ready with sage advice, often to the point, "telling it like it is.”

JoAnn's passion to love and serve her family and cheer for the St Louis Cardinal baseball team was a highlight in her life, yet her heart's desire was for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to know the Lord Jesus. Her resilient, persevering attitude lives on in the character of her family and their memories.

JoAnn Leaton (Eller) Moore, 89, of Columbia, Missouri, passed into eternity on August 8th, 2020, in her home surrounded by family.

Born May 29th, 1931 in Hannibal, Missouri, JoAnn was the daughter of Coy and Leaton (Gleeson) Eller; great-granddaughter of the late Robert Thomas Elsberry, founder of Elsberry, Missouri. Her siblings, Jenny Schutze, Curt Eller, Louise Nowak, Bill Eller, and Betty Wilman, preceded her in death, as well as her niece Marilyn and nephew Coy Lee. JoAnn was married to Lucius H. Chappell Jr., and later married Anthony (Jack) Moore, both preceded her in death.

Cherishing JoAnn's memory are her children Harold Chappell, Suzi Houtz, Debbie Jameson, and Judy Purcell, as well as their spouses Barb Chappell, Bill Houtz, Charley Jameson, and Matt Purcell, whom she considered her own children.

She was the proud grandmother of (12), Matthew Chappell (preceded her in death), Bryan Chappell, Katelin (Vartan) Chappell-Tenkerian, Daniel Chappell, Kristina (L.T.) Bowens, Kristofer (Kirsten) Houtz, Angie (Chad) Bass, Amanda (Chris) Brobst, Drew (Kathryn) Jameson, Erika (Glenn) Denton-Epperson, Kayla Purcell, and Kristen Purcell; proud great-grandmother of (16), Jackson Tenkerian, Liam Tenkerian, Elizabeth Bowens, Levi Bowens, Lily Bowens, Luke Bowens, Liam Bowens, Lincoln Bowens, Kristofer Houtz Jr., Katherine Ruby Houtz, Carson Bass, Karlie Bass, Aiden Brobst, Chase Jameson, Jaydon Denton, and Sydni Denton.

She will be missed by friends and extended family, including nieces and nephews, Richard, Leon, Barbara, Mark, John Richard, Eugene, Mike, Gary, Lee Ann, and David.

A celebration of JoAnn's life will be held on Friday, August 14th, at 2:00 p.m. at C2 Church, 3300 S Providence Rd, Columbia, MO 65203, officiated by Pastor L.T. Bowens. JoAnn's final resting place is Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery, Hannibal, MO

As an expression of condolences, the family suggests donations go to C2 Church in the memory of JoAnn Moore: https://c2church.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/243/responses/new

Tributes, stories, and condolences to honor JoAnn may be shared at the Bach-Yager website at https://www.carryager.com/obituary/JoAnn-Moore

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of JoAnn Leaton (Eller) Moore, please visit our floral store.