Jo Ann was born on November 15, 1941 and grew up on a farm in Columbia Cross Roads, Pa. She lost her mother at the age of six; then contracted polio at the age of nine. After spending weeks in the hospital she made up her mind to become a nurse someday and take care of others. She graduated high school at the head of her class and then graduated from Robert Packer Hospital school of Nursing in 1962 as a Registered Nurse. She worked at RPH for a short while and then switched to Troy Community Hospital soon after marrying Bill Avery. Bill and Jo Ann have four beautiful daughters who are now scattered about. Patricia Jo is in Wyalusing, Pa; Sheryl Kay in Salem, VA; Brenda Sue in Auburn, MA; and Amy Beth in Roanoke, VA. They are also grandparents to nine Grandchildren and seven Great Grandchildren.
After their third baby was born, Jo Ann stopped working as a nurse and started working with Bill on the farm. When their youngest daughter started high school Jo Ann felt the call to go back into nursing, this time in a doctor’s office in Athens, Pa for six years. She then switched to the American Red Cross out of Rochester, NY for five more years before retiring. In 2000 she and Bill sold their cows and retired from farming, purchased a fifth wheel camper and traveled quite a bit. They also flew across the ocean and visited Germany where Jo Ann’s ancestors came from in 1864.
Every year the Avery’s have a camp week at a new location in which all their families come and live together for a week. This, at times, includes five generations of Avery’s from the age of 94(Bill’s Dad) to the one year old. Christmas is planned a year ahead so that all can be here at their home on the same weekend.
For Jo Ann, bowling started in her life shortly after marrying Bill. They got on a couples league on Sunday nights with his parents at Terrace Lanes in Troy, Pa. It was always a fun time. At some point, probably after relocating from Pisgah (Eminent Domain took our farm for a PA State Park) to our present address of Gillett, Pa, they quit the Sunday league but Jo Ann continued to bowl in the Wednesday Afternoon Ladies League with other team members of Mollie Beardslee, Ruth Welch, Janice Wandell and Betty Crane. Jo Ann took her little ones to the bowling center with her quite often. Her average kept creeping up as she became more experienced and at one time had a 165 average. She hasn’t kept records of her high games but had a few 600 series in her career.
Last year she made it on the Centers high score board with a 545 series. Jo Ann has enjoyed bowling in several tournaments and won in a couple of them. She has bowled at state level a couple of times and at Nationals in 2011 in Syracuse, NY. Plans are being made now to bowl in September in 2015 in NYS competition at Waverly, NY.
Bill and Jo Ann have been bowling on a Senior League at Elmira at Dixie Lanes on Tuesdays for four years and Jo Ann still bowls on Wednesday Afternoon Ladies League at Terrace Lanes with Eunice Wilston, Eloise Bagley, Jeanne Cooke and Sandy Borden, sponsored by Joe Twarkusky. Jo Ann says she thoroughly enjoy bowling as a sport and as an exercise activity. She enjoys the camaraderie of friends along the way.
Other activities enjoyed by Jo Ann and Bill are bicycle riding, sometimes on longer trails like our PA Grand Canyon and out on Presque Isle. Also they join the Senior Games each year in Chemung County taking part in competing in various bowling, track and bocce ball events. On quieter wintery days Jo Ann enjoys sewing and quilting. Bill enjoys “something to do” so he cuts the pieces of fabric and Jo Ann does the sewing. They make each grandchild their own quilt upon graduation from high school, several baby quilts and wall quilts for the girls. Some days you might hear Jo Ann practicing my accordion for a son to play in church, etc. She and Bill belong to the Fassett Baptist Church.
Jo Ann says she feels humbled and thankful to have been voted by her peers to be inducted into the Troy USB C Hall of Fame.
The Hall of Fame Committee are very proud to announce that Jo Ann Avery will be inducted into this years Bowling Hall of Fame.