JoAnn Kingsley, 85, of Lewiston, passed away of complications of dementia at Serenity Place in Lewiston on Thursday morning, Jan. 5, 2023. She flew away to join her beloved husband Don, who passed on Aug. 11, 2022.
JoAnn was a “coal miner’s daughter,” born in Bolair, W.Va., on Oct. 16, 1937, of Arley and Retha Mason. With her six brothers and only sister, they lived in a small house that was built by their dad. They were given new shoes in the fall and went barefoot every summer. The family bought used clothes by the bag-full and wore anything that fit. When she was 15, JoAnn and her family moved to St. Maries so Arley, suffering from black lung, could begin working in the timber industry and her mom, Retha, could work occasionally as a logging camp cook.
Don Kingsley, a U.S. Army boxer and mechanic, was honorably discharged in 1956. He returned to St. Maries and purchased a brand new white and turquoise 1956 Royal Crown Victoria, of which he was very proud. He soon met JoAnn Mason and gave her a ride home from school. Don had a silk rose hanging on his rearview mirror, which JoAnn grabbed as she got out of his car. He said, “Hey, give me back my rose.” With a smile, she said, “If you want it, you’ll have to come and get it.” Not long after that, he got both the rose and the girl. They were married in June of 1956.
Their first son, Stephen, was born in May of 1957, and Michael was born on New Year’s Eve, 1959, and the family moved to Lewiston in 1962. Don worked as a lift truck driver at Potlatch and JoAnn worked at CCI until she became a beautician, eventually coming to own The Zip Styling Salon on Thain Road. At the family dinner table, no matter the topic under consideration, Dad would respond, “Well, the guys at the mill say ...” And, Mom shared her tips on Friday and would sometimes tell stories and jokes from the beauty shop. Most of which, thankfully, have been forgotten.
Don and JoAnn moved to Dana Point, Calif., to go on a one-year mission for the Lutheran Church, overseeing a home of six developmentally disabled adults. When they returned to Lewiston, they purchased Clearwater Chem-Dry, serving Nez Perce, Lewis and Idaho Counties while JoAnn began working as an instructor at Mr. Leon’s, giving most of her paycheck to help her students, many of whom were single mothers.
Don and JoAnn were longtime members of Good Shepard Lutheran Church in the Lewiston Orchards. In 1992, Michael purchased Don’s Chem-Dry business and started King Services, a smoke and water damage business, which he sold in 2009.
Don and JoAnn had a lifelong romance and lived to serve people who needed a hand up in life. They loved their sons, the Lord Jesus and their community. Don was a baseball coach and a scout leader. JoAnn was a wonderful mother and 4-H leader. She set an example as someone who was always helping others in need, taking in students, and paying for others to go to the dentist or optometrist.
Don and JoAnn are survived by their sons Stephen, a minister in Craigmont, and Michael, of Lewiston, a state representative; and grandchildren Joshua, Charles, Mason, Sam, Bradley, Lucas and Katie.
A celebration of life will be held in April. Memorial donations may be made online to the family’s nonprofit, an orphanage in Uganda, wonderafrika.org. Call Stephen for more information at (208) 816-0890.
