Column: Tuscarawas County lost a true treasure last week

There are a lot of good people in this world. We lost one of the best last week. It was our friend Joan Beorn, who we had known for decades, but it was only in the past 15 or so years that we worked closely with her.

Joan was one of those invaluable people working behind the scenes that kept things going smoothly for everyone else. She seemed to take her reward in the many people she helped with her kindness and her mad organizational skills.

Joan, my sister, and I all worked for the same company at one time. When my sister got married, Joan baked her wedding cake and wouldn’t take any money. She only accepted the planter she received as a thank you because she didn’t have a choice – it was delivered to her house.

If you visited Schoenbrunn Village in 2023 or earlier, you probably talked to Joan. She put in many volunteer hours and when she did get a small stipend for her work, she put it back into keeping the village gift shop going, buying snacks and drinks for resale, and donating them.

When the village hosted the Colonial Trade Faire for about 10 years, it was Joan who was behind the planning of the incredible breakfast that was served Saturday and Sunday morning.

Everyone loved Joan, so we were willing to get up at 4 a.m. to put egg casseroles in the oven and get them over to the village by 7 a.m., still piping hot, on our days off. Some of the reenactors admitted the trade faire event was the most popular one they went to each year because of the breakfast.

If there were other events going on in the village, Joan was a big part of them too. Prior to the Colonial Trade Faire, volunteers got together to split wood for the event. Joan took charge of planning a lunch for the volunteers who worked. She helped with the Lantern Tours, Sleepy Hollow, the 250th anniversary of Schoenbrunn Village, and many other events.

Photography tip: Always take photos of the people who are working in the gift shop during an event. I have many photos of people at Schoenbrunn Village events, but few of Joan.

My husband thought of Joan as a bonus grandmother. At a special event we visited at Schoenbrunn, it was Joan who talked to Joe about becoming a volunteer and signed him up. He did maintenance and lawn care. It was a volunteer job he excelled at and enjoyed doing for years. Joan would bring an extra sandwich along when she knew Joe was working so he didn’t miss lunch.

If she needed anything at Schoenbrunn or her home, she could call Joe, and he would help. If Joan needed help, you dropped what you were doing. You wanted to help her; she would do the same for you.

I was at Schoenbrunn many times when Joan would greet visitors to the village and tell them about the history. She was a wealth of information. She ran the gift shop/office with integrity and was a true professional.

Joan liked to help others and was a longtime volunteer at the Twin City Food Pantry. At one time, she was also a volunteer at the Twin City Hospital gift shop. Many times, she was leaving one volunteer job to go directly to the next. She also spent time volunteering for the Dennison Depot and the Clay Museum in Uhrichsville.

Appropriate for an essential person like Joan who tried to stay out of the spotlight, she wanted no public funeral services planned. But that is not going to stop us from remembering the wonderful person she was. Those of us who loved her and volunteered with her over the years are busy trading stories on the phone, Facebook, email and in person of how everything was better when Joan was there.

Her kindness and selflessness touched countless lives, making every day, and projects and events, feel more welcoming and meaningful. Her generosity and warmth left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire all of us who knew her.