Jo Thomas Windham

ARGUTA COMMUNITY…Mrs. Jo Thomas Windham, a resident of the Arguta Community, died early Thursday afternoon, October 9, 2025, in Dale Medical Center. She was 85.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Monday, October 13, 2025, in Post Oak Baptist Church with her grandson, Dr. Lee Windham and Reverend Kenneth Hale officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark is in charge of arrangements. The family will receive friends from 4:00 until 6:00 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home.

Mrs. Windham, born to the late Bernice H. Thomas and Emma L. Shepard Thomas, came into this world in the quiet countryside of Barbour County, near Louisville, Alabama. That small-town upbringing shaped her into the kind, steady soul so many came to love. She spent her early years in Ozark, where she built a life full of purpose and community, before settling in the Arguta Community in 1980 — a place she would call home for the rest of her days.

Faith was the cornerstone of Mrs. Windham’s life. She was a devoted member of Post Oak Baptist Church, where she poured her heart into serving others. For sixty years, she taught Sunday school, sharing stories from the Bible with generations of children, always with patience and a gentle smile. She also led Vacation Bible School, bringing joy and learning to the summer months, and was deeply involved in the Women’s Missionary Union (W.M.U.), encouraging women to grow in faith and fellowship. Her commitment didn’t stop at the church doors — she gave her time freely at the Dale Baptist Thrift Store, always ready to lend a helping hand or offer a kind word to someone in need.

Mrs. Windham had a quiet grace about her, and she found joy in the simple things. She loved to sew, crafting quilts and clothes with care and creativity. But nothing brought her more happiness than being surrounded by her family. Her grandchildren were the light of her life, and she cherished every moment spent with them — whether it was baking cookies, telling stories, or just sitting together on the porch watching the world go by.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of sixty-seven years, Billy Windham, with whom she shared a lifetime of love, laughter, and unwavering partnership. She also mourned the loss of her sister, Geraldine Hayes, and her brothers-in-law, Roy Mobley and Bertrum DuBose — each one a cherished part of her extended family.

Surviving relatives include her children, Len Windham (Vonn), Ken Windham, and Keith Windham, all of the Arguta Community; grandchildren, Dr. Lee Windham (Lessie), Vicki Morrison (Paul), Joanie Thompson, and Shelby Easterling (Cade); nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Maxine DuBose, Brundidge, Gloria Armstrong (Wayne), Ozark, and Diane Griffin (Bobby), Macon, Georgia; relatives from the Windham family, Faye, Bobbie Nell, and Earl Windham (Jeanette); nieces, nephews, and cousins,

Serving as active pallbearers will be Robert Carroll, Chad Sanders, Richard DuBose, Michael Griffin, Derek Mobley, Lindsey Sheffield, and Brian Henderson.