Joanne (Hileman) Gaul, 85, of Quenemo, Kansas went to be with Jesus on Friday, October 16, 2020. Joanne was born to John and Janet Hileman April 29, 1935 in Rural Valley, Pennsylvania. She was a good, old-fashioned country girl. Joanne married the love of her life, Donnel Gaul in April 1958. She and Don enjoyed archery competitions and in the 1960's they were both Pennsylvania State champions.  Together they came to know the Lord, and in 1967 they left home and family to go serve as missionaries to the native Americans, first in South Dakota, and then in Alberton, Montana. They helped build the Northwest Indian Bible School and were dorm parents to over 200 Native American boys, hence her name, Ma Gaul.

She was always a very hard worker. After about 10 years on the mission field, she went to college and obtained her professional cooking degree, at the same time Don trained as a pilot. She loved cooking special birthday meals for family members. In 1988, Don was killed in a plane crash in the mountains of Montana and Joanne moved to Plains, MT to live next to her son, Nolan and his family. She spent many years as a head cook and supervisor at Saint Pat's hospital and later Clark Fork Valley hospital where she received Employee of the Year before retiring. In 2007, she moved to Kansas to be with her daughter and care for her granddaughter, Ashley, who she lived to see graduate just this year.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, her husband Don, her daughters Cindy Joanne Gaul, and Dawnette Hoerner.

Joanne is survived by her son, Nolan Gaul (Treva) of Post Falls, Idaho, and their children, Alyssa, Bridger (Annie) and Colter (Amy), and great-grandchildren Boaz and LeRoy and baby Gaul on the way; son-in-law, David Hoerner of Quenemo, Kansas, grandson Britton (Rebecca) granddaughter Ashley and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be at 8:00 p.m. Friday, October 23 ^rd , 2020 at the Feltner Funeral Chapel in Lyndon, Kansas. Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Burial will take place at the Salem United Church of Christ Cemetery in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. Carson-Boyer Funeral Home in Rural Valley, Pennsylvania is in charge of the burial. Memorial contributions may be made to the Northwest Indian Bible School c/o Feltner Funeral Home, 818 Topeka Ave, Lyndon, Kansas 66451.