Joan Currie

Joan Currie, of the Pottershop community near Oletha, passed away in Marlin on Thursday, April 30, 2015, at age 79. While she had been battling cancer the past year, she was still looking forward to June when she would have turned 80 and also would have celebrated their 60th. wedding anniversary on July 1st. Visitation will be held at Groesbeck Funeral Home on Sunday, May 3, 2015 from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. Graveside services will be held at Holly Cemetery (off Hwy. 79, Ridge, TX.) at 1:00 P.M. on Monday, May 4, 2015, with Reverend Johnny Layton of the Lake Limestone Baptist Church and Clyde Nichols of Global Harvest Ministry of Kosse officiating. Pallbearers will be Juston Prichard, Josh Prichard, Tyler Meranda, and Brad Sather. Joan was born in Lokeba, OK. on June 29,1935 to Francis Sharrod James and Hazel Blanch (Scouten) James, the oldest of five children. While she was middle-school age, the family moved to Nederland, TX., where she graduated from high school. Joan had Indian heritage as the family were members of the Lumbee Tribe. Being a creative and artistic girl, and the daughter of a seamstress for Singer Co., she had the desire to study clothing design in college, but her father insisted she go to nursing school. Joan was united in marriage with Denzil Carl Currie on July 1, 1955 at Elington Air Force Base in South Houston. He was in the Air Force, so their life together involved many travels and moves. Joan graduated from the Baylor School of Nursing in Houston in 1957 as a licensed RN. When their first son, Dan was six weeks old, they flew to Afghanistan, and she worked during their four years assisting with nursing at the American Embassy. Their daughter, Sheereny was born in Afghanistan, and son Philip was born in Virginia after Carl was transferred back to the U.S. During her nursing career, Joan worked at the Orthopedic Hospital ER in Arlington, VA; at Our Lady of The Lakes Convent retirement facility in San Antonio; in Groesbeck at the nursing home; and retired as the Director of the South Limestone Hospital in 1982. Joan and Carl had bought their property at Oletha in 1967, and worked with the kids there on weekends and holidays. In 1986, he and grandson Juston built the two-story log home, which Joan filled with their collections from their world travels and her crafts. Joan used her many creative talents throughout her life making the current fad in crafts as well in the seventies, she taught arts and crafts for the Ben Franklin store which became the first Michael’s Craft Stores. She made quilts, painted clothing , macramé, made soft-sculpt dolls, and gave many gifts to family as well as sold some of her work, and also enjoyed flower gardening. She was very involved in intricate Indian beading during recent years. Joan held many places of honor in the Lumbee Tribe and was active with the local band in this area, the Blue Feathers, participating in Indian traditions at Fort Parker. She was an active member of the Thornton Order of Eastern Star 46, which was consolidated with Groesbeck OES 810, until she was busy taking care of her mother, and then her own health issues. Joan was a member of the Global Harvest Church out of Kosse, and in fact she and Carl helped with the construction of the church building. Joan was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband of nearly sixty years, Carl Currie of Thornton; five children: daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Gerald Carter of Lake Limestone; daughter and son-in-law, Jill and Dan Bouska of North Fort Worth; son, Dan Currie of Lake Charles, LA; daughter and son-in-law, Sheereny Prichard and Trey Tippie of Oletha; and son and daughter-in-law, Philip and Charolett Currie of Oletha. Also, there are grandchildren, Mavis and husband Steven, Katrina and husband Jeff, Michelle and husband Steven, Josh and Kim Prichard, Juston and Britney Prichard, and Wendy Currie; many great grandchildren; one brother, Jackie James and wife Celia of North Carolina; three sisters, Nelda Grillo and husband Vincent of Belton, Wanda Davidson and husband Dr. Harold Davidson of Oklahoma City, OK, and Geraldene Sather and husband Bill of Georgetown; many nieces and nephews and great nieces and great nephews.