Joanne Lucille DeSomber

Mass of Christian Burial for Joanne DeSomber will take place 2:00 p.m., Monday, May 22, 2017 at St. Matthew's Catholic Church with Father Cliff Jacobson officiating; interment to follow at Mt. Pisgah Cemetery. Visitation will be held prior to services from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Monday, May 22, 2017 at Walker Funeral Home. Joanne L. DeSomber, known by her family and friends as "Jo," passed away at the age of 86 on May 12, 2017, at her assisted living apartment in Walla Walla, Washington. Born August 18, 1930, she was raised in Greybull, Wyoming by her parents, Thurman and Irene Hurst. She attended schools in Greybull and attended the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque for one year, worked as a telephone operator in Greybull, and later worked as a bookkeeper at Gambles in Billings, Montana. Jo married R. R. "Dick" DeSomber on November 20, 1954, and together they had two sons and one daughter.Dick and Jo moved several times, living in Pullman, Washington, as well as Casper and Bairoil, Wyoming, before settling in Gillette in 1968. Jo was a member of St. Matthew's Catholic Church where she participated in Altar Society, helped count the offering and taught Catechism, in addition to many other ministries. She worked as a bookkeeper for a credit union in both Bairoil and Gillette for a short time. In addition to raising her family, Jo was a generous volunteer, helping for many years with Meals on Wheels, Hospice, and at the hospital. Over the years, Jo had fun square dancing, roller skating, and painting ceramics. When she was young, she taught herself to play the marimba and was crowned Prom Queen. She moved to Walla Walla in 2014.Jo is survived by her children, Kevin DeSomber and his wife, Lorna, of Walla Walla, WA; Tom DeSomber and his wife, Bev, of Ten Sleep, WY; Mary Jo (DeSomber) Sires and her husband, Jerry, of Gillette; brother-in-law Tony DeSomber and his wife, Myrna, of Sun Valley West, AZ; two grandsons, Kyle DeSomber (wife, Angie) and Scott DeSomber (wife, Valerie), and 11 great-grandchildren, all living in Walla Walla, as well as a niece, Christine, from Billings, Montana. She was preceded in death by her husband, R.R. "Dick" DeSomber, her parents, her brother, Bill Hurst, and her nephew, Tim Hurst.Memorial contributions may be made in Jo's memory to Hospice or Meals on Wheels. Memorials and condolences may be sent in care of Walker Funeral Home 410 Medical Arts Court, Gillette, WY 82716. Condolences may also be expressed at www.walkerfuneralgillette.com Funeral Home:Gillette Memorial Chapel210 West Fifth Street Gillette, WYUS 82716