Joella Edwards Mims Sealey

Joella “Jo” Edwards was born on February 18,1929, in Iraan, Texas, to parents Joseph Edwards and Louella Jordan Edwards. She was named by her sister Marguerite who combined their parents’ names. Jo was also a younger sister to Forrest, Edith, Betty, and Walter, who had passed away as a newborn. At that time the family lived in one of the many tents that housed workers and families during the oil boom. They moved from one tent city to another, from one Texas town to another, even before the Depression officially began in October of that year. Her mom was ready to “stay put”, thus the family established a permanent home on a small farm outside San Angelo in 1931 and soon welcomed baby sister Gloria and baby brother Don to the family.

Jo and her brothers and sisters adored one another. Conditions certainly could not have been easy for any of them. Yet, Jo’s stories of her youth were filled with happiness and love, even when talking about her Dad being paid in sweet potatoes and it felt like they ate sweet potatoes “forever” or when the family of eight “all had typhus”.

Jo married WWII Veteran Max Alan “Sonny” Mims on February 28,1947, whom she met on a blind date. Daughter Sue arrived a year later and daughter Peggy a couple of years later. The family moved from Fort Worth to Dallas to Greenville. By the mid-fifties, Jo and her young family moved to Sarasota, Florida, then Ft Lauderdale, and son, Alan arrived while living in Miami before the decade was over. Jo loved Florida and she and Sonny raised their three children in the Sunshine State, during the Space Race, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and a few hurricanes. Jo and the kids stayed behind in Florida for a year when Sonny accepted a position in Taiwan with the US State Department during the Vietnam War. In 1968, after Peggy graduated from high school, Jo and the kids packed up and joined Sonny for a year in Taiwan. Jo made trips to Hong Kong and Japan while living in Taiwan. That year was filled with unforgettable adventures. 

Jo and the kids moved to Fort Worth in 1969, after leaving Taiwan. Like her mother, Jo decided to “stay put” and chose to be near her beloved sisters and their families. Sonny went on to accept a position in Thailand, where Jo and Alan would later visit for a summer. Fort Worth remained the family’s home as Sue and Peggy each married and Alan attended school.

She was widowed in 1975, when Sonny suddenly passed away while working in Iran. Jo married WWII Veteran C.D. Sealey, a teacher and coach in the Fort Worth School District, five years later. She met C.D. when she worked in the administration office of the Fort Worth School District. Jo and C.D. built and lived in homes in Alvarado and Aledo and back to Fort Worth during their thirty-year marriage, all while traveling extensively throughout the United States. Jo and C.D. were extremely active in the Masonic Lodge, and Jo attained the title of Worthy Matron as C.D. became the Grand Master. They each prioritized time with their siblings, with Jo and sister, Gloria going to Italy with the church. Any spare time was sprinkled about their blended family of children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. 

Jo was again widowed when C.D. passed away in December 2010. Jo and Sonny’s beloved daughter, Peggy Fields passed away suddenly in May 2021.

She is lovingly called “Muhr”, the moniker given to Jo by granddaughter Lisa Marie. Treasures that Muhr made for us through the years are referred to as Muhr Blankets, Muhr Pillows, Muhr Quilts, and Muhr Poundcakes. Her son Alan eagerly looked forward to the Muhr cookies he received each and every year for his birthday for the last forty years. Muhr cookies are exquisite and Alan will only share them with a special few.

Jo lived most of her life with either her camera, her latest yarn/ sewing project, or her bible in her hands. The thousands of photos she took wonderfully document her long life and she often would go through albums to reminisce and remember the good times. She could not enjoy sitting still unless she was working on a project. She surely must have crocheted enough yarn to reach to the moon and back. Jo was also an excellent seamstress. Her quilts are masterpieces and Sue attests that her Mom’s skills always put her on the local best dressed lists growing up. Through the years, Jo created the most magnificent sequined Christmas stockings for her entire family, with red for the fellas and white for the girls. And yes, they are called Muhr stockings.

She didn’t just take her bible to Church, she read it and lived it every day. Jo loved her Church, Birchman Baptist, and she loved her Sunday School Class, the Truth Seekers. No doubt Jo’s faith sustained her throughout her life of almost a century, through some incredibly historic times and some painful personal periods, Jo persevered and prayed. Jo prayed for all of us and she called in her prayer warriors for extra prayers for those she thought may need them.

Jo certainly persevered. At age ninety, she was leading an exercise class at her late sister-in-law Agnes’ nursing home, only stopping due to the pandemic, Jo was still driving until a few weeks before her passing and she continued to text from her cell phone until a few days before she passed away. Jo was truly an amazing person. 

Joella Edwards Mims Sealey was greeted in Heaven by Sonny, Peggy, C.D., Agnes, sons-in-law, Gordon and Jim; by all her sisters and their husbands; by all her brothers and their wives; by nieces Debbie and Janice; by nephews Jack, Eddie Mark, Mike, Gordon, and Joe-John; by loved ones Sharon and Craig; and many loved ones who went before her. 

Jo remains in the heart of devoted daughter Sue Warren of Frisco, and in the hearts of Alan Mims and wife Stephanie of Aledo. She is also survived by her loving grandchildren: Lisa Ferguson of Little Elm; Griffin Fields and wife Kelly of Iowa Park; Scott Fields of Las Vegas, NV; Amanda Mims and husband Hayden Ward of Tulsa, OK; Emily Mims and husband Steven McDonald of Granbury; Rob Linder and wife Ariane of Boca Raton, FL; and Lisa Ann Gossard of Granbury. Jo leaves a legacy of love to her perfect great-grandchildren: Drew and wife Cameron, Kaden, Kali, Kyler, Gracie, Vincent, Jake, Audrey, Alexandra, and Summer. She is also survived by nieces Kathy, Pam, Phyllis and husband Steve, Gail, and Kim; by nephews Charlie and wife Holly, Glenn, Dean and wife Shelly, Greg and wife Melanie, Bobby and wife Sarah; as well as by many great nieces and nephews; and by extended family Woody Hinson, and Kay Vanderbilt and family of Granbury.

Jo leaves behind many dear friends, notably her Birchman Baptist Church family and Sunday School Class, the Truth Seekers; and by Oscar and Maria Morales and family, the most wonderful neighbors anyone could hope to have. 

Jo loved us all.