Patricia Joann (Annesley) Tillman

Patricia “Joann” Tillman ,75 of Elkins passed away February 18th,2022 at WRMC in Fayetteville. She was born December 15th, 1946, in Oklahoma City to Jim & Estileen (Pelham) Annesley.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, James, Charles, and Harvey Annesley and two sisters Holly Annesley and Sue Kennerly.

She is survived by her husband Willis of 57 years; four sons Earon, Jason (Bubba) Chad and Nathan all of Elkins; grandchildren, Earon II, Andolyn and husband Quinton, Zane, Waylon, Lee, Lacey, Jonathan and Brooklyn; great grandchildren, Abigail & Hadley; siblings, Gayla Jones and her husband, Mike, of Arizona, Glee McBride, and her husband, Roy, of Elkins, and Cherilyn Clark and her husband, Raymond, of Farmington, Dan Annesley and his wife, Sharon, Audie Annesley, Steve Annesley, and Stanley Annesley all of Blanchard OK, and many nieces and nephews.

Farmers by trade, Joann and her siblings worked fields as a child. After High School, she attended barber school in Oklahoma City. She and her friend Joanne worked at their shop Joann & Joanne’s in Tulsa on Sunny Lane. That is where she met her sweetheart Willis, a strapping young airman. After a long courtship that included Willis traveling abroad with the service, they married in February 1965. They moved to Springdale Arkansas and began to start a family.

Joann put family a priority over most other things in life. She raised their four boys while her husband Willis worked at Springdale Fire Department and 188th Airwing in Fort Smith as a firefighter for over 33 years.

Joann worked many jobs to support her family but was most known as a barber. For over 20 years she would cut hair from her shop on Huntsville Rd. in Fayetteville. The shop was quaint and most known for always having candy. Tootie rolls, tootsie pops and other suckers were a staple. If you were to drive by the shop on your morning or evening commute you would see Joann sitting in the barber chair if she didn’t have a customer. She also would likely be on the phone with someone in her large family.

Joann was known for her boisterous laugh and was frequently seen smiling. That smile she would often credit to a good night’s sleep and her strictly regimented beauty routine. She believed in rest and exercise. She would wake up early, put on her makeup and remove the rollers from her hair. Most every day she would be seen walking laps at Bunch Park or around the High School. After a long day of cutting hair, she would return home to her family for dinner, likely brown beans. That was her favorite and she would prepare them at least weekly.

Joann played a big part in the lives of her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. She would visit her sisters, Glee and Cherilyn and their children regularly. She was always interested in what was happening at school and what their interests were. She was their “sweet Aunt Jo”. She would buy them treats and take care of them on sick days. If you missed school and stayed at the barber shop, you were in for a good day. It was a day filled with pampering, conversations, westerns or crime TV and Sonic for lunch if you were lucky.

Joann and Willis have been generous with their family since they married. Joann would give free haircuts to people in need. If you were her blood relative, she was also probably good for $20 and that was just between you and her.

A big talker, she loved to see people stop at the shop to visit. But her favorite was if you were bringing a child. She loved children dearly. Even if you were a stranger, you could trust her to at least comment on the beauty of a baby. For those she knew, she would hold and rock them until you had to take them back. She was the first in line to scoop up a little one. She would often let her nieces and nephews stay over. Her home was a good source of Diet Coke and ice cream. You could count on both. If she said this once, she said it a million times, “Honey, I don’t care if you stay the night, but we are going to bed at 9 o'clock”. She made a bond with many people. She collected tea pots and throughout her life was gifted hundreds by those that loved her.

Joann had some valuable lessons for all of us she showed in her life.

1. Always stick up for the family.

2. Take a nap when you are able. Your body needs the rest.

3. Wash your face with a good cleanser, and you will not get wrinkles.

4. Never skip dessert, have it first, even if it's someone else’s birthday.

5. Talk to anyone and everyone, we all have things in common, it's our job to find the common ground.

6. Buy yourself nice things and take care of them. You will thank yourself later.

7. That food probably needs a little more salt.

A funeral service will be 2pm, Saturday, February 26, 2022 at the Mt. Olive community building with Minister Otto Young officiating. A viewing will be Two hour prior to the service. Burial will follow at Mt. Olive Cemetery. Funeral services are under the direction of Madison County Funeral Service of Huntsville. www.madisoncountyfuneralservice.com.

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