Joan Elaine McConnell, 89, died January 22, 2019. She was born in 1929 at Sedan, KS, to Forest Paul Sears and Mary Grace Johnson Sears.

Joan and Rex McConnell were married in June 1949. Both were students at Ft. Hays State University where she was active in sorority and graduated with a Bachelor of History in 1951. After graduation she created a home for her family while teaching in the first few years of married life. They moved to Salina from Sedan, KS in 1962. She was a 4-H leader, a leader in Sunflower Girl Scouts, Guardian Secretary of Jobs Daughters. Joan was an active, joyful and responsible participant in EHU, AAUW, several genealogical societies, Elks Club Ladies Golf, University United Methodist Church and Methodist Women. She was proud to serve as a 1976 voting delegate to the Republican Presidential Convention for Ronald Reagan. Until her health failed, she was Precinct 24 Republican committee woman and a member of Saline County Republican Women. Joan was a landlord until her death.

Joan is survived by her daughters, Tonie “Jeanne” (Mike) Dugan, Topeka, Kathy Cox, and Karen (Wayne) Boyles, Salina, and her son in law, John Miller, Salina. She has 11 grandchildren; Kevin (Tami) Keller, Marci (Edward) Clarke II, Jennifer (JT) Caldwell, Brooklynn Miller, Geoffrey (Katie) Cox, Justin (Anne) Cox, Jessica Cox, Wayne JR (Shannon) Boyles, Kelsey (Steve) Abraham, Rex Boyles and Karissa Boyles. She is survived by 17 great grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild. She was close to her nieces, Margo and Tessy and their families. Her nephew, Greg (Amy) Ohmacht and family called and visited with Joan regularly. She also was close to her niece and nephews on the McConnell side of the family.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Lorraine Sears Ohmacht, in 2005; her husband, Rex, in 1977; her daughter, Marilyn McConnell, in 2016; her daughter, Sandra Miller; and grandson, Jeremy Boyles, in 1986.

Memorial services will be held at 11:00 am Saturday, January 26, 2019 at the Ryan Mortuary. Burial will be private.

Memorial are suggested to the Marilyn McConnell Memorial Scholarship, Fort Hays State University Foundation, One Tyler Place, PO Box 1060, Hays, KS. 67601-1060