Joan Danielson Warner

Joan Florence (Danielson) Warner, 80, of Waco, Texas, passed away on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 after a lengthy illness. The memorial service will be at 3:30 p.m., April 29, 2023 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Chapel, 6101 Bosque Boulevard in Waco. The service will also be live-streamed with the link available on the funeral home website. The family will be available for visitation at the chapel one hour prior to the service.

Joan was born September 13,1942 to Verner and Alice (Crone) Danielson in St. Louis, Missouri. They provided her with a shining example of how to be a good Christian, a devoted spouse, and a wonderful mother. When she was just 4 years old, they moved to a family farm just outside of Fort Stockton, Texas, where she grew up with her younger sister and brother as well many nearby extended relatives including her beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. She graduated from Fort Stockton High School in 1960 and McMurry College in Abilene in 1964, where she received her degree in Mathematics.

She met James Eldon Warner at McMurry in Calculus class after he and a classmate were having “problems” with calculus. They noticed she was getting good grades and tossed a coin to see who would get to ask her out. Eldon won and all three passed the class. After graduation, they married on June 11, 1964. They enjoyed 56 happy years together. They began their married life in Abilene where Joan taught mathematics at Abilene High School while Eldon worked in the insurance field. They moved around several times due to job changes and lived in Dallas, San Angelo, and then Midland, where she became mother to Kendra and Adam. Another job change led the family back to Abilene for a couple years and the final move to Waco in 1981 where they joined Woodway First United Methodist Church and made many dear friends. She was very active in the church including her longtime adult Sunday school class, United Methodist Women, and Prayer Circle as well as frequently volunteering with the children and youth even after her children were grown.

She taught Algebra and Geometry in Waco ISD at Tennyson Middle School, Waco High Ninth Grade Campus, and A.J. Moore Academy before her retirement in 2004 after 22 years of service. She continued to substitute-teach for many years after retirement. She had an immense love of teaching. She truly cared for her students and was one of the leading math teachers in the district. She even taught her son Adam as she was the only Geometry teacher at Waco’s ninth grade campus.

Joan was a doting “Meme” to her grandchildren, Sophia, Mats and Lindsay. She loved to spend time with them, taking them to the zoo and museums, baking them special desserts, and making gingerbread houses with them at Christmas. She was a woman of many talents. She taught all levels of swimming lessons including life-saving training and in later years taught a water aerobics exercise class at the YMCA which helped herself and others with the pain of arthritis.

She also had a passion for exploring and preserving her Swedish heritage, spending countless hours on genealogical research, staying in touch with extended family, and participating in Swedish heritage groups including Scandinavian Friends locally. She was 100% Swedish, having directly descended from Swedish immigrants who came to Texas and Kansas in the 1880s. She is descended from a long line of teachers, farmers, and even a Kansas legislator.

A highlight of her life was a trip to Sweden to see her ancestral homeland and meet many extended relatives.

All who knew Joan, even in her later years while suffering from Alzheimer’s, can attest that she was truly a warm, caring, and loving soul who loved to help others. She remained cheerful and steadfast even through all the challenges she faced.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Eldon. The family is comforted that she is in the arms of Jesus. Eldon no doubt greeted her with a bowl of her favorite Blue Bell ice cream.

She is survived by sister, Nancy Lively and her husband, Paul, of Highland Village, Texas; brother, Steven Danielson of Sacramento, California and his wife, Catherine; sister-in-law, Suzanne Hobbs and husband, Virgil, of Abilene, Texas; brother-in-law, Neil Warner of Roseville, California; sister-in-law Marie Warner of Roseville, California; daughter, Kendra Millington of Waco; son, Adam Warner and wife, Shayne, of Plano, Texas; grandchildren, Mats Millington of Waco; and Sophia and Lindsay Warner of Plano; and numerous extended family members.

The family would like to express deep thanks for the loving care Joan received from her Stoney Brook Assisted Living and Memory Care family, Alamo Hospice, Coleman Care & Sheri Coleman, and special caregivers Dorothy Brinkley and Renee Ewings. Memorials may be made to Woodway First United Methodist Church or the Alzheimer’s Association. The family invites you to leave a message or memory on our Tribute Wall at www.WHBfamily.com.