King City, Missouri….JoElla (DeFreece) Gilbert of King City, MO passed away Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at her home surrounded by family. She was born in Parnell, MO on July 19, 1938 to the late Goldie Mae (Prather) and Henry DeFreece and was one of thirteen children. She was born and raised in the Parnell area, attended Lafayette High School for three years and then moved to Ravenwood where she graduated from Ravenwood High School on May 10, 1956.
After high school, JoElla began working for Hartford Insurance with the St. Joseph Livestock Commission at the stockyards of St. Joseph, MO and continued working there until 1965. During that time she had the pleasure of meeting her husband, Dean Gilbert, a farmer in the Pleasant Hill area whom she wed on October 14, 1961. After they married, JoElla joined her husband on the farm and continued to make their business endeavors and farm successful. She did whatever it took to keep the family farm and business running while raising three children. She cooked daily meals for any number of people her husband brought in from the farm, kept books, and carried the mail while they owned a mail truck business. Once her children were older, she began working outside of the home for SSM In Home Health and continued working there for over 15 years. Whether it was helping her husband, raising her children or taking care of the elderly, JoElla was always a caretaker at heart. She always made sure everyone was okay, well fed and she made sure the candy jar was full.
JoElla’s main passion was for her children and grandchildren. Her greatest joy was watching them play sports and grow up. You could always count on her to be at every game and fortunately when she was stuck at home, she could enjoy them through the live streaming.
Anyone who knew JoElla knew her love and passion for sports. Not only did she like watching sports, she grew up playing them, along with her siblings. She played softball as a first baseman for the Schlitz softball team and the St. Joe Beacons during the 60’s and was even able to go to state. In the late 80’s she put together two family slow pitch teams, the Silver Bullets for the older ones, and the Sluggers for the younger ones, where she coached and showed her love for the game. In the late 90’s she played in many Good Life Games, recruiting all of her friends and family who were over 50. Softball was her favorite, but she also played basketball for the YMCA. JoElla earned numerous awards and medals for playing sports throughout her life and wanted that for any young athlete. She loved to talk about or watch any kind of sporting event or be a part of it somehow whether it was on TV, with her family or within her community. If it was a competitive sport, JoElla enjoyed it.
In addition to her parents, JoElla was preceded in death by her husband, Dean, sisters Virginia Perkins, Jeanette DeFreece, and Marilyn Runde. She is survived by her children Darin Gilbert, Toby and Anita Gilbert, and Brooke and Sean McKinnon who are all of King City. Her grandchildren, Shae and Devin Breckenridge, Braden Gilbert, Carleen Gilbert, Wylie McKinnon and Lyla McKinnon. Her siblings Mona Rogers, Helen Beal, Kathryn Langley, Jimmy DeFreece, Jack DeFreece, David DeFreece, Vickie Kling, Debbie Busby, and Sharon DeFreece and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held from 6:00 ~ 8:00 p.m. with Rosary starting at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, August 4, 2024, at Turner Family Funeral Home in Maysville.
Funeral Services will be at 10:00 a.m. Monday, August 5, 2024, at Turner Family Funeral Home in Maysville, with burial immediately following at Butler Cemetery.
