Joan Elizabeth Stimmel

Joan Elizabeth (Kooreny) (Ray) Stimmel was born on February 12, 1941, to Jack Kooreny and Norma Wilson in Minot, North Dakota. They moved to Walla Walla when she was about two years old.

Joan went to Baker Elementary School, Pioneer Junior High, and graduated from Wa-Hi in 1959. She went to Northwestern College in Kirkland, WA, for two years. Joan met Don Ray in 1962. She raised two sons: Steven D. Ray and Gregory E. Ray.

Steve met and married Wendy Allyn Sparks on May 23, 1992, in Salem, OR. They have a son Andy who is still single and living in Portland, OR. They also have a daughter McKenzie who married Cameron O’Neil on June 18, 2016, in Stayton, OR, and they have a daughter Lilias Cameron.

Greg met and married Debbie (Henry) (Gouge) on April 28, 1990, in Spokane, WA. Debbie has a son, Trever Gouge. He has two sons: Caius and Cayden, and a daughter Samantha. Greg and Deb have a daughter, Amanda, who met and married Chad Florance on October 24, 2010, in Spokane, WA. They have four children: Anna, Cheyenne, Gunner, and Blaze.

Joan had three brothers: James A., David, and Donald R.  Jim never married, and Dave and Joellen had one son Joy. Donny and Sandy had two daughters: Paula, Lisa, and one son, Michael.

Joan was a Sunday School Teacher off and on for several years. She was a member of the 1st Assembly of God in Walla Walla, Presbyterian Church in College Place and Spokane, and Baptist Church in Salem and McMinnville, OR.

She loved going to the Oregon Coast, Silver Falls in Oregon, Little walks on Mill Creek, Balloon Stampedes, The Blue Angeles, watching children playing in the park playground, looking at the birds and ducks at Pioneer Park, and just going for rides in the car.

We started watching Adrian Rogers for our Sunday Worship Time.

Joan was reacquainted with H. Dennis Stimmel, and they were married on July 24, 1983. Dennis has two daughters, Lori Bixby and Kim Reeser, and one son, Jon Stimmel. Granddaughters: Emily, Jessica, Bonnie, Sha-Re, two grandsons, Nathan and Zebulun, and two great-grandsons, Landon and Koehn.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 10:30 AM at Blue Mountain Memorial Gardens.

Memorial donations may be made to Caring Hands Adult Family Home, Walla Walla Community Hospice, and Community Services through the Herring Groseclose Funeral Home, 315 W. Alder St., Walla Walla.