Jo June Brennan

Jo June Daughtery Brennan, 95, joined the Lord on Saturday, November 16th, 2013.
Friends are cordially invited to attend a memorial service at Champion Fellowship Church on Saturday, December 7th at 11:00 a.m. Reverend Tim Webb will preside.
A private family burial was held on Saturday, November 23rd at Saint Matthews Lutheran Church in Sandy Hill.
Jo June was born on May 19th, 1918 to Fanny Gazelle Essex McCalley Daughtery and John Quincy Daughtery in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She was the eldest of four siblings, Jo June, Fanny Elaine, Doris Nell and John Quincy Daugherty, Jr.
Her father was a jeweler and a watchmaker by trade. After the difficult economic times of the 1930’s, the family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. All the children attended Tulsa Central High School where Jo June graduated in 1934 at the age of 16. She won The State Lettering Championship of Oklahoma twice. Anyone who corresponded with Jo June treasures her hand written letters. Her poetry was published in the local newspapers.
As a young adult she worked for The Public Service Company of Oklahoma in Tulsa. She participated in the company’s Play Actors Guild and local beauty pageants. She once commented that she; “worked all the way up to $75 per month.”
In the late 1930’s she discovered a new found talent; singing. She performed vocals with “The Cavaliers Orchestra”. When the band decided to tour the country she remained close to home and family. She accompanied Bob Crosby’s group on KVOO radio station and sang for the soldiers during WWII,
In the spring of 1949, Jo June married Doctor Richard Oliver Brennan. They resided in Houston where Richard built a medical practice and they raised a family. She enjoyed accompanying her husband to medical conferences and being involved in the medical auxiliary for the doctor’s wives. Her writing abilities and editing skills complimented her husband’s book publications. Richard was one of the founders of “The International Academy of Preventive Medicine, along with Nobel Laureate, Dr. Linus Pauling. She was a strong supporter of his nutritional approach in medicine.
While living in Houston, she was an active member of The Houston Junior Forum, The Light House for the Blind, The Shriners and numerous organizations. She gave tirelessly of her time, energy and talents to those less fortunate. Her passion was being involved in promotion of basic education. She felt there was a divine beauty in learning. Knowledge belonged to everyone. And that literacy was the key.
With her own children in school she became a Real Estate Broker and was very proud in putting together a large land purchase to build the TG& Y Shopping Center in Navasota in 1978.
Her passion for American patriotism and politics never faded. As a loyal Republican she supported National and Local candidates. While living in Houston she hosted several large parties for the Honorable George H.W. Bush, and his wife, Barbara. During the ensuing years Jo June joined The American Women in Radio and Television (AWRT). President Bush asked AWRT to send six women, including Jo June, to Africa; their mission was to visit embassy personnel in six countries and report back on the success of their literacy program.
On another State Department sponsored trip in 1973 she was accompanied by her eldest children, Michael and June, to Israel’s celebration of their 25th year of Existence as a State. It was a trip of a lifetime.
After the loss of her husband Richard, in the early 1970’s she moved to the beautiful area of Washington County. She purchased the ranch property of her dreams near Brenham, Texas.
With moving from the hustle and bustle of city life her family thought she would slow down. But she took on new hobbies with all the creativity and intensity in which she had lived the rest of her life.
She assisted Pastor Rudy Kelling of St. Matthews Lutheran Church in creating “Faith Mission”, a second hand retail store. She found the local Texas history fascinating and became an active member of The Independence Historical Society.
Inspired by the natural beauty surrounding her on her property, her oil painting and other media took on a new direction. A water color she painted took First of Show at a Brenham Art League gathering.
There was little doubt she loved her ranch, her new community and her new friends in the Brenham area.
In 1980 she married Quinten McLemore of Winnsboro, Louisiana. She always indicated how she appreciated how kind and loving he was towards her. They had a lot of fun together. Sadly, two years later Quinten passed away.
Jo June was an extraordinary woman. She would say,” It’s aerodynamically impossible for the bumblebee to fly, you know. But he does. I am kind of the same way. I don’t know I can’t fly, but I do anyway.” She lived life with great intensity and on her own terms.
She would say her most treasured possession was the time she spent with her family. She was a proud wife, mother and a grandmother. She will be greatly missed and forever remembered.
We wish to thank the Lily Carreon, her loyal caregiver, for the last 4 years of looking after our mother. The family extends our deepest gratitude to the nursing staff at Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care center in Houston for their outpouring of love and respect for our mother.
Jo June was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and her two husbands. She is survived by her two sons: Dr. John Michael Brennan of Dallas and Patrick Howard Brennan of Houston: one daughter, Mrs. June Olivia Blouch of Boulder, Colorado and her grandson Matthew Murphy Brennan of San Francisco, California. Her three nieces: Suzanne King Randall of Oklahoma City, Mrs. Deborah Sacrey of Houston and Mrs. Jo Elaine Herman of Pasadena and numerous grandchildren.
Survived on the McLemore side of the family are: Sue Johnston of Brenham, Mrs. Nancy Womble of Birmingham, Alabama, Mrs. Ann Davis and Mrs. Jan Adock of West Monroe, Louisiana, Sidney McLemore of Newelton, Louisiana and the late Randy McLemore and Rita of Calhoun, Louisiana and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions in Jo June’s name to The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, 1112 16th Street, NW., Suite 340, Washington, DC. 20036. Phone: (202)955-6183. Email: sooc@aerols.com. The Website is www.barbarabushfoundation.com

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, TX 77833. 979.836.3611 Condolences may be sent to www.brenhammemorialchapel.com