Ewing
Love is not unconditional—the price of true love is grief. And today, as we grieve, we also celebrate a life lived with love, strength, and devotion.
JoAnn Ewing, 92, passed away on September 9, 2025. She was born on October 6, 1932, in Madill, Okla., to James Oscar and Gladys Mae Ewing. She grew up alongside her brother Jimmy, surrounded by cousins, family, and the bustle of Ewing’s Department Store.
Madill was her Tara—her safe haven, her roots, and her pride. As a young girl she found adventure everywhere, from carefree days in school to being crowned the first Rodeo Queen of Marshall County—an honor she treasured nearly as much as her baptism at the Church of Christ, where her Christian faith took deep root and carried her all her life.
AftergraduatingfromMadillHighSchool,JoAnnattended the University of Oklahoma, where destiny stepped in. One day a young ROTC cadet named Jason told his friends, “I’m going to marry that girl.” And he did. JoAnn and Jason married in Madill, beginning a marriage that would last over 60 years.
Fromtheverystart,JoAnnwasnotjustawife—shewasan Army wife. When Jason was called to serve in Korea, JoAnn shouldered the weight of life at home. When the Army sent him around the world, she gathered up her three children -Mary Lou, Ruth Ann, and Jason- and made sure the family stayed together, no matter the cost.
The stories of her strength and determination became family legend: boarding a plane with three children dressed in their Sunday best on a long flight to France, still grieving the quiet loss of a child her little ones never knew about. Halfway across the Atlantic, part of the wing fell from the plane. While the children laughed, JoAnn prayed silently for safe arrival. They made it to Paris, where JoAnn ordered a stiff cocktail from room service to calm her nerves and celebrate her survival—a $7 luxury in the early 1960s that she declared was worth every penny. When housing fell through, she refused to wait and found a house on her own. When winters grew cold, she ordered enough coal to keep her babies warm, convincing Jason to “move mountains” until proper military quarters were secured.
Her journey as an Army wife carried her across the world—from Europe to Asia to Hawaii. She stood strong and steadfast through the Vietnam era and the heartbreak of President Kennedy’s assassination. Wherever Jason’s career led, JoAnn transformed each place into a home—anchored by her grace, grit, and unshakable faith.
As a mother, JoAnn was both tender and fierce. She loved her children deeply, though never without a touch of humor. Mary, her debutante daughter, was her “southern lady.” Ruth, a self-described tomboy, was her “lost cause.” And Jason, her baby boy, was always her baby boy—no matter how grown he became.
When Jason retired, JoAnn returned home to Madill, where her story began. She poured herself into family, faith, and community. Her hands—graceful and beautiful, just like her mother’s—were a reflection of her life: strong, steady, and always serving others.
JoAnn was preceded in death by her parents, Jim Oscar and Gladys Mae Ewing; her husband, Colonel Jason Harold Cain, Jr.; daughter-in-law, Dee Cain and grandson Ronald Mecham.
JoAnn is survived by her children, Mary Lou Kolankiewicz and husband Mike of Huntsville, Ala.; Ruth Ann Mecham and husband Ron of Centennial, Colo., Jason Cain III of Madill, Okla.; grandchildren, Timothy Kolankiewicz, Daniel Kolankiewicz and wife Kristie, Andrew Kolankiewicz, Lee Ann Larsen, James Mecham and Julie Fink; great grandchildren, Nicholas Kolankiewicz, Joshua Kolankiewicz, Natalie Kolankiewicz, Dasha Woods, Dakota Fink, Donald Fink, RonaldFink,LilleeLarsen,RachelLarsenandLoganLarsen; nieces, Melinda Wiley, Nancy Craig and Jane Castleberry.
A memorial is planned with her daughters, their families and friends in the fall. Notification will be provided through Church members and family friends.