Joanne Ruth (Lenhart) Wysong

Joanne Ruth (Lenhart) Wysong, of Chesterton, Indiana, passed away Saturday evening, September 30, 2023 at home with her family. She was born on January 20, 1935 to Chauncey Phillip and Thelma Ruth (Harkness) Lenhart in Sterling, Whiteside County, Illinois.

When she was young, Joanne lived on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River in Port Byron, IL.  During World War II her family had a cow, a chicken, a pig named “Victory”, and an outhouse up the hill behind the house – which was a chilly trip in Wintertime. The family moved to Liberty Township, in Porter County, Indiana in 1944, where they had a farm southwest of US Hwy 6 and Meridian Road. 

Joanne attended Liberty Bible Church in Chesterton, Indiana for 78 years. She was baptized on August 10, 1952 in what was then the Liberty Township Church. She has volunteered at the church in many capacities including being the wedding coordinator for multiple years.

She attended Liberty Township Schools and graduated from Phoenix Technical High School in 1953 earning outstanding student achievement in clothing and design. She loved sewing and made a great deal of clothing including two wedding dresses and several bridesmaid dresses and costumes for various events. She studied at Moody Bible Institute and returned to Northwest Indiana to work as a legal secretary for several years. 

On May 18, 1963, Joanne married widower Walton (Walt) Allen Wysong. In addition to helping raise Walt’s four young daughters, Joanne and Walt had two children, daughter Debra and son Thomas.

Joanne worked as a secretary in multiple jobs, including for Terry Hiestand’s Law Office in Chesterton, Indiana; for Christ Community Church (now known as Cornerstone Community Church) in Hobart, Indiana; and was the personal secretary for KFC entrepreneur Chuck Wheeler for multiple decades. Joanne loved working as a secretary and meeting new people on a daily basis. She thrived on talking to people and hearing their stories. Joanne was always ready to listen and share her smile and twinkling blue eyes. 

Throughout her adult life, Joanne supported missionaries to other countries, including Gene and Phyllis Borman in Kenya, Africa and people from Hauna Village on the Sepik River, where she was privileged to visit in the jungles of Papua New Guinea in 1997. 

Joanne’s life was all about investing in people and taking care of others. She was generous and giving. She welcomed everyone with a smile and always told people that the second time they came to visit they were family. In addition to raising her own and Walt’s kids, Joanne got the opportunity to help raise her only local grandchild, Brynn Elizabeth. 

Joanne was preceded in death by her parents Chauncey and Ruth, former husband Walt, brothers Russ and Duaine, and daughter Rhonda. Joanne is survived by her children Deb, Thom, and 3 stepdaughters; granddaughter Brynn, and many step-grandchildren. Joanne was especially close to her niece Pam Lenhart Huppmann and sister in-law Pat Lenhart. 

A viewing will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at Liberty Bible Church in Chesterton, Indiana. A funeral service will follow at 12:00 noon with a graveside service at Chesterton Cemetery immediately following.

The family invites everyone with a positive memory of Joanne to post it on her page at www.whitelovefuneralhome.com or Legacy.com as a long-lasting tribute to her life. 

Professional arrangements are entrusted to White-Love Funeral Home, Chesterton, IN. 

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