A traditional service will be held for Ms. Joan H. Underwood, age 86 of Burns, TN who died on Monday, August 14, 2023 from cancer. Visitation will be Friday, August 18, 2023 from 4 to 7 pm at Taylor Funeral Home. The funeral service will be Saturday, August 19, 2023 at Dickson First United Methodist Church at 11 am with visitation from 10 – 11am prior to the service. Place of rest will be in the Dickson County Memorial Gardens.
Joan was born on July 22, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan. She was a daughter of the late Shelby Humphreys and Lucille Humphreys. Most of her childhood was spent on the family farm in Puryear where her Dad raised Hereford beef cattle. She spent most of her high school years at Puryear High School, where she played basketball as a forward. When she was a Senior, her family returned to Michigan and she graduated from Hazel Park High School and was Salutatorian of her class of 1955.
Joan married Thomas Ralph Underwood on October 22, 1955, a journey that would last over 65 years. The couple had four daughters and moved to Dickson County in 1972 to live on a small horse farm in Burns. The family had a wonderful life in the country with numerous pets, a vegetable garden, badminton games, and of course basketball. Joan was an excellent seamstress and made special clothing for the girls and their dolls. Her cooking skills are unmatched, and she was especially good at biscuits, cornbread and any type of dessert. Additionally, she enjoyed her gardening, and had a magical green thumb with secrets for beautiful flowers that her daughters still do not know. She loved her family, and treasured spending time with all of her daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Joan was the sweetest, most beautiful, best Mama in the world. Her priority was always to make sure that your needs were taken care of and that you were ok.
Joan and Ralph were members of the Dickson First United Methodist Church since the family moved to Burns in 1972. Joan loved going to church every Sunday and enjoyed her Sunday School Classes, the Spares and Pairs and Annie Lee Williams classes at DFUMC.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother Jackie Humphreys and her husband Ralph Underwood.
She is survived her two sisters, Faye Valentine, Nelda McCasey (John), four daughters, Lisa Underwood Jones, Leslie Underwood Hamdorff (Jim), Julie Underwood Baker (Patrick), and Jennifer Underwood Sanders (Rob); 5 grandchildren, Eric Jones (Missy Hjelden), Daniel Jones (Catherine Petty Jones), Ryan Hamdorff, Sara Hamdorff, Selona Baker; and 5 great grandchildren, Emary Sanders, Palmer Jones, and Hudson Jones, Nova Hjelden and Teddy Jones.
