Beverly "Joan" Cannon

Beverly Joan Cannon, joined her Lord, March 17, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family, at the age of 86.

Joan was born and raised a “country girl” in rural Kahoka, July 19th, 1939. The daughter of Wells and Gladys Sanders, she grew up alongside her siblings Frank Sanders, Ike Sanders, Pearl Sanders, Linda Walker, Garnet Smith, and Mary Patton. They lived on a 160 acre farm in Clark County, Missouri, owned by her parents, Southeast of Kahoka, in the home Wells built. She attended school at the Sugar Creek grade school through the eighth grade, after which she then went to Kahoka High School. She graduated Kahoka High in 1956, at the age of sixteen. After graduation, at the age of seventeen, she began working at Fishback Market in Kahoka,. During her young life, she also worked at Woolworth’s Department Store, 30 years for Dr. K. E. Kirchner in Kahoka, and 20 years with Town & Country Realty. She attended Southeastern Community College during that time and received a degree in Real Estate in 1986 and maintained her Real Estate license until she officially retired.

She met and then married the love of her life, Keith Norman Cannon, August 26th, 1957 at the Kahoka Christian Church. From their love, she gave birth to three children: Steve Cannon, married to Candy Cannon; Deborah Cannon; and Shelly Cannon, married to George Burnham Herrick.

Joan was blessed, throughout the years, to become the grandmother of: Sean Cannon and Brandy Friday, son and daughter of Steve Cannon; Charity Gaff and Chelsey Asby, daughters of Deborah Cannon; John Ayer and Hillary Chaplin, son and daughter of Shelly Cannon. She even had the joy of several great-grandchildren: Neala and S.J Cannon, Zoe, Alli, and Kade Friday; Faith, Cyrus, Olivia, and Aubrey Gaff, Autumn and Reid Asby; and Henry Chaplin. She loved all of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren dearly.

She loved to garden, sew, go antique shopping, crocheting, and reading. She loved to watch TV with her husband, play her organ, and play cards. When her daughters were young, she started a Girl Scout troop at Lincoln School, in Keokuk, winning her many awards for her work with them. She loved to travel, camping with her own children and then her grandchildren, riding on her husband’s Honda Goldwing as they made their way through most of the 50 states and to the coast of Mexico; and following their grandchildren with the band.

Later in life, they hosted campgrounds together near Branson, Missouri. She was a long-time member of Alexandria Presbyterian Church. She and Keith were chairpersons for the Easter Breakfast for 30 years and she was the Superintendent of the Sunday school for 42 years. She was a Bible school teacher for many years, both teaching and crafts. She helped rebuild the church after the flood of ‘93. She won many awards from the United Presbytery for her services to the church in so many ways.

In her later life, after her children were all grown and they had children of their own, she became very active with the Clark County Nutrition Center and Food Pantry. She won the Golden Hammer twice for her work with them. She wrote several large grants for them and once petitioned State Senator Wes Schumeyer for additional money that had been needed for equipment. After she moved to Hannibal, she became very involved with the Hannibal Senior Center and made many wonderful friends along the way. Joan lived a full life in love and service to her family.

She passed peacefully, surrounded by the same love and light that she had given in her life, her faithful husband always by her side as she walked into the light to be with those that had gone before her. She touched many hearts and minds over her lifetime, her beauty and grace never to be forgotten by those that knew and loved her.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Vigen Memorial Home in Kahoka, with Pastor Tim Goodman officiating. Burial will follow at Sand Cemetery in St. Francisville. 

Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home, with the family receiving friends from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

 Memorials may be made to the Alexandria Presbyterian Church.