Phyllis passed away from this world into Eternal Life on April 14, 2016. She was 86 years old. Known mostly as ""Jo"" or ""Grandma Jo"" she was born on March 30, 1930 in McCure, Ohio to Ross and Doris Ward. As a young girl she was a talented baton twirler, winning many awards and leading her high school band as its first female drum majorette. She married N.D. Croninger in 1951. In 1962, they moved the family to Gila Bend, Arizona. While there, Jo used her baton talents to teach a group of young girls baton and marching skills. Her group marched in the annual Butterfield Stagecoach Days Parade. In 1964, the family moved to Yuma and resided in the Lazy S Mobile Home Park. At the time of her death, Jo had been a resident of the Park for 52 years.Jo worked as a secretary for Valley Credit and then worked for First Interstate Bank until her retirement in 1992. She and N.D. enjoyed many good times at there cabin in El Golfo, traveling around the U.S. and Canada, and attending sporting events of their grandchildren. She especially loved working around her home, gardening, and traveling with her daughters After N.D.'s death in 1997, Jo spent many months away from home caring for their oldest daughter Nancy who suffered from ALS.Jo is survived by brother Doug Ward and sister-in-law Charlene Yoder of Ohio, daughters Sue (Mark) Reynolds and Joni (Steve) Meinhardt of Yuma. Grandsons Toby (Jenny) Myers, Ryan Seale, Steve (Deidre) Seale. Great grandchildren Trace, Macy and Jacub Myers, Jace, Drake and Silas Seale, and special bonus grandchildren from the Reynolds, Stallworth, Fegenbush, and Meinhardt families.She was preceded in death by husband N.D., daughter Nancy Fegenbush, sister Iris Weber, and son-in-law Richard Stallworth.Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Wednesday April 20, 2016 at Johnson's Mortuary Chapel. Services will begin at 10 a.m.Pallbearers include Steve Meinhardt, Mark Reynolds, Toby Myers, Ryan Seale, Steve Seale, and Ryan Conrad. Honorary Pallbearers are Herb Oliver, Erika Martinez, Steve Reynolds, Chris and Teri Ingram, Sonny Seale and William Meinhardt.In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the ALS (Lou Gehrig disease) Foundation at
www.als.org or in care of Johnson's Mortuary.
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