Joann Cavette

On November 17, 1949, Joann was born to the parents of James Johnson and Earnesteen Bowie in Camden Arkansas. She was the second oldest of the three daughters born to the couple and spent all of her early childhood and young adult life in Arkansas. She lost her mother at a young age but continued to be raised by her paternal grandmother Mrs. Georgia Johnson. She was a quiet and caring child with interest in sewing, cooking, and gardening. She succeeded in finishing her formal education by graduating from Lafayette High School.

Looking for better opportunity, Joann would later relocate to Flint, Michigan to be reunited with her father and attend Community College. In doing so, she would join her father’s new family and have five additional siblings. Flint would be the city she would call home for the remainder of her life. Two very eventful things happened to Joann during this time in Flint that would define the rest of her life. First, she met the man she was to marry, the late Mr. Jerry Cavette; the couple marriage lasted for 52 years until the passing of Mr. Cavette. The couple would have two children together: Ida and Jeffery Cavette. To help support the family, Joann would find work at the General Motors Plant in Flint where she was a valued employee for 30 years, retiring in 2003. Also, Joann would be grandmother to two grand kids whom affectionately called her ‘Nana’. She delighted in the time spent with her grandchildren whether watching them for the summer, going on trips with them or teaching them to ride a bicycle.

Secondly, it was in Flint that she was introduced to Jehovah Witnesses. She absolutely delighted in the meetings, conventions and the association with her spiritual brothers and sisters. After studying she would get baptized as a witness in 1972. Following her retirement from General Motors, she attended Pioneer school in 2004 and pioneered for 18 years. She was a member of the Central Congregation, Forrest Park Congregation, the Bellaire Woods Congregation, the Sign Language Congregation of Flint, and most recently the Kearsley Park Congregation.

When asked about the struggles and hardships she had endured, Joann was adamant in saying “I had a good life”. She is survived by her daughter Ida Cavette-Johnson and Husband Ernest, son Jeffrey Cavette, grandchildren Julian and Joanna Johnson; siblings Christine Wiggins, Brenda Denson and husband Leroy, Alvis Johnson and wife Gail, Shirley Tipton, Bernice Hayes, and Darice Wade.

A Memorial Service will be held on July 30, 2022 at 3 p.m. via Zoom Online. The family will send out invitation links to invited guests