Marilyn Joan Adkins

Marilyn “Joan” Adkins, 81, passed away early Saturday morning, January 5, 2019 at  Emporia Place. She was born October 31, 1937 in Brewster, Kansas the daughter of Marion A. and Vera J. Lowe Tucker. Joan attended  high school in Hayward, California and graduated from Hayward High School with the Class of 1955.  Following High School, she joined the United States Navy and received nursing  training while serving. Joan was joined in marriage to Harlan D. Thorne on January 5, 1957 in Rockville, Maryland. They would make their home in Lebo and start their family.  She became very familiar with the highs and lows of being a farm wife. Harlan was tragically killed in a farming accident in 1968 and she was left to raise their four children. While working to support her family she began taking classes at Flint Hills School of Nursing. After earning her LPN she worked in Labor & Delivery at Newman Memorial Hospital in Emporia for 15 years. Joan furthered her education once more while attending Emporia State University, where she earned her RN degree. She then worked as a surgical nurse at St. Mary’s Hospital in Emporia and later for the Osage County Health Department. Joan finished her nursing career by serving ten years as a Nursing Home Surveyor for the State of Kansas, retiring in the early 2000’s. Joan would find love again when she met Gerald D. “Jerry” Adkins. They were married on April 27, 1969 in Lebo. They became a steadfast fixture at all the children’s sporting events and school activities. As the years passed their pride transitioned to their grandchildren and the community youth as a whole. Joan and Jerry would  experience the loss of a grandson, Austin Dennis Thorne  in 1990. Jerry would also precede Joan in death in 2017. Her  strong religious and community ties were evident in her many memberships. She was a member of the Lebo United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Women, American Legion Auxillary, Just for Fun and Bid of Bye Card Clubs, The Lebo Choralaires, East Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging and served as a Resident Ambassador of Emporia Place Senior Living. She will live on in the hearts of her children, Stephanie Allegre and her husband Bill of Overland Park, Michael Thorne and his wife Raylene of Burlington, Ken Thorne and his wife Cheryl of Gunter, Texas and Jolene Vannocker and her husband Mark of Lebo; grandchildren, Adrienne, Jenna, Eliza, Christina, Brooke, Austin, Andrea, Aaron, Derek, Jordan and Ethan; great-grandchildren, Charlie, Landon, Austin, Raleigh, Merritt, Ellie, Grayson, Harlan, Makayla, Aubriana and Ava; brother, Ken Tucker of Merced, California; sister, Carol Barker and her husband Richard of Clyde, North Carolina; sister-in-law, Glenda Failing of Lebo and brother-in-law, George Sullivan of Lebo. Cremation is planned with a Celebration of Life being held at 11:00 A.M., Saturday, January 12, 2019 at the Lebo United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. until service time at the church. Inurnment will follow at Lincoln Cemetery. In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hand-In-Hand Hospice or the United Methodist Women and sent in care of the Jones VanArsdale Funeral Home. Condolences may be expressed at vanarsdalefs.com.