Jo Ann J. Bollivar

JO ANN J. BOLLIVAR, 92, of Tallahassee, Florida, formerly a resident of Largo, Florida and a longtime resident of Deer Grove, IL, passed away at her home on Monday, January 2, 2023, in the presence of her two surviving daughters. 

Cremation rites have been accorded. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, March 18, 2023, at Garland Funeral Home, 115 South Main Street, Tampico, Illinois 61283. A graveside service will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Benton Street, Tampico, Illinois. Following the graveside service, a luncheon will be held at Jo Ann’s favorite place, The Happy Spot, 1667 Hoover Road, Deer Grove, Illinois 61243.

Jo Ann was born on December 14, 1930, in Kewanee, Illinois to Evelyn and J. Chris Rasmussen. She graduated from Tampico High School in 1949. She married Clarence Bollivar on October 14, 1950, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Tampico, IL. Together they raised three daughters on their farm in Deer Grove. She worked at Harlan’s fabric store in Sterling while her children were in school. In 1973, they moved to Largo, Florida. Jo Ann worked for the Eckerd Drug Corporation at their corporate headquarters in the Accounts Payable department until her retirement in 1990. Following her retirement, she continued to manage the family farms in Tampico for the remainder of her life. 

Survivors include daughters Jan Rosene of Tallahassee, Florida, and Jo (John) Marshall of Johnson City, Tennessee; son-in-law David Jones of Clearwater, Florida; grandchildren Crystalyn Voehl, Randall Haeberle, Catrina Kingscott, Neill Jones, Michael Haeberle, Timothy Haeberle, Nicole Purcell, Courtnay Murphy, Kevin Haeberle and Kyle Jones; and twelve great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Royce Rasmussen (1953), her parents Evelyn (1991) and J. Chris Rasmussen (1992), her husband of 68 years, Clarence Bollivar (2018) and her daughter, Jenise Bollivar-Jones (2020). The family takes comfort knowing that she has been reunited with her departed family members.

 Sadly in her later years, the effects of glaucoma and macular degeneration mostly robbed Jo Ann of her eyesight making her hobbies, such as reading and sewing impossible for her. In lieu of flowers the family encourages donations to The BrightFocus Foundation (www.support.brightfocus.org) to fund efforts to cure glaucoma, macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. Even more important than donations, the family asks you to enjoy the beauty of a sunset, visit a new destination and enjoy the smiles on the faces of your family in Jo Ann’s memory as we are not always assured of the gift of sight or the ability to put off that vacation for a later date. See everything you can see and enjoy making memories as Jo Ann did for her 92 amazing years of life.

Condolences can be mailed to Jan Rosene at 1769 Broken Bow Trail, Tallahassee, Florida 32312.

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