Jo Ann Whiteside

Jo Ann Whiteside, B.A. ’55, of Kilgore, TX, passed away on July 3, 2025. Whiteside was born on Aug. 22, 1934, in Chandler, TX, to Earl Jester Youngblood and Alvina Youngblood (née Dockery). Their lives revolved around the activities of the Baptist church. They moved to Athens, TX, before Whiteside started school. The family joined the First Baptist Church of Athens, where Whiteside made a profession of faith at 10 years old. She studied piano and sang in church throughout her childhood and youth.

Whiteside graduated from high school when she was 16 years old. She was admitted to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and transferred to Baylor University after two years. She graduated with a bachelor’s in elementary education and moved to Galveston, TX, to teach third grade. During a visit to see her parents in Athens, Whiteside met her husband, Charles Hugh Whiteside, at First Baptist Church.  

The newlyweds moved to College Station, TX, where Whiteside gave birth to Charles Earl and Nancy Lynn. Charles Sr. completed a doctorate at Texas A&M, and the family moved to Evansville, IN, for him to work at Mead Johnson. After three years they returned to Texas, settling in Kilgore where Whiteside lived for 61 years.

The family joined First Baptist Church Kilgore, where Whiteside sang in the adult choir and directed the children’s choirs for 13 years. She taught public school music to a wide range of students. Whiteside also joined the Coterie Club and the Friends of the Library. She taught a young married adult Sunday School class and later a ladies’ class. While she studied hard to provide meaningful lessons, she also formed strong bonds with those in her class. They, as well as other church friends, were very close, even traveling together. 

Whiteside’s memory will continue to live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to share in her journey.