Joanne L. Austin

Joanne L. Austin, born on January 7, 1937, to Helen Sievert and David Arterberry in Taft, California.

Joanne passed away peacefully on January 10, 2025. She was 88 years old & lived a long, fun, fulfilling, loving & great life.  Joanne was born in Taft, California, a small trading town built by the oilmen, working on the oil rigs and repairing the oil wells, the ranchers and the farmers around that area. Her family moved back to Long Beach a few years after she was born. She was raised by her mother, Helen Seivert and stepfather Buck Case.

She met her future husband, Oron on a blind date, at a high school dance after her family moved from Long Beach to Avenal in the Oil production boom of the early 1950’s.  After she graduated from Avenal High School they got married in her late teens and settled in a little farming town of Kettleman City.  Joanne was a housewife while Oron was a ranch hand for a few years before becoming an oil well rigger with his Dad and for Chevron Oil USA in the small town of Avenal when the wildcatters discovered oil in the hills around the area.  While living in Kettleman City they had two sons before moving to the community of Camden, California, near a farming town of Laton.  Oron & Joanne had two more sons before moving & buying a bigger house in the community of Riverdale, California.  At that time, Oron was already working for the C. Case Company, Inc., an oil well servicing company, fixing oil wells & their pumps near the towns of Riverdale, Kettleman City, Avenal, Kerman & Bakersfield.  After all four boys were in school, Joanne started volunteering at Riverdale Elementary as a Teacher’s Aide. She would walk to school with her youngest son & eventually was hired on at the school.  She worked at both of the primary schools driving between them every day.  She loved working with the kids, reading books, playing games on the school grounds with all the kids. She was especially fond of the second graders. 

While their kids were growing up, Oron & Joann always found time for the family.  They were always at the back to school gatherings, school parties, science & math fairs & cheering their kids on at Football, Basketball, and Baseball & Track & Field games along with the Marching Bands & Concert Bands.  Oron & Joann found time to attend almost all of their kid's school functions whether in grammar school, high school or at the college level. The family found time to go to Disney Land, Pismo Beach, Knott’s Berry Farm, and Bass Lake & Lake Tahoe.  After High school the boys attended and graduated from West Hills Community College & California State University Fresno.  Joanne always pushed the boys to love school & higher learning.   Joanne & Oron always went to their Football & Baseball games watching their kids on the fields playing ball or performing in the bands.  They also visited Chavez Field for the Los Angeles Dodgers & Candlestick Stadium for the San Francisco Giants baseball games.  They also attended football games at Stanford University & the University of Southern California.  

Eventually Oron retired in the late 80’s from the oil field work and acquired the 76 Gas Station, Repair Garage & Auto Parts business in Riverdale where Joanne kept the books while Oron & his son Larry managed & operated it for years. After Joanne retired from Riverdale Elementary School in the early 90’s the family bought, built, managed & operated a Shell Service Station in Hanford, California. During the late 90’s they sold the properties & businesses & only kept the warehouse in Riverdale.

After a brief retirement & for the past 20 years, Oron & Joanne have continued to help all four boys & their growing families.  They started managing the Real Estate properties owned by their boys & wives in Kings County & the properties in Fresno County.  This adventure became a full-time job for Oron & Joanne & they absolutely loved it. 

Joanne L Austin was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 65years, Oron.  Oron & Joanne have four boys, Jim (Patricia), Mike (Cindy), Larry (Estella) Joseph (Michelle), along with seven grandchildren, David Austin (Jessica),Lauren Crawford (Justin), Michelle Plantenberg (Keith), Thomas Austin, Rebecca Gomez (Zacariah), Brooks Austin and Madison Austin.  They have also been blessed with eight great grandchildren, Micah, Bethany; Penelope, Quinn, Lucas, Logan, Jarren and Askel. 

The funeral Service will be at Whitehurst & McNamara Chapel in Hanford, California on Tuesday January 21, 2025 @ 1:00pm.  A Gravesite service with the family will be at Hanford Cemetery at 2:00pm   The family requests, rather than gifts, please donate to Joanne’s favorite charity, Valley Missions & Jail Ministries, Inc., of Fresno CA. Oron & Joanne never missed the Valley Missions’ annual Christmas Party & fundraiser.  The Family also requests their friends and families to meet them for Dinner at 5:00pm at The Sizzler’s Restaurant, in Fresno, CA, Oron and Joanne’s favorite restaurant.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joanne L. Austin, please visit our floral store.