Edna Joanna Tinnin

Tinnin, Edna "Jo" - age 87, of Grand Blanc, formerly of Swartz Creek, Flint, Lawton Oklahoma, Wertheim Germany, Aberdeen Maryland, Vicenza Italy, Fort Leonard Wood Missouri, Fairbanks Alaska, Fort Polk Louisiana, Killeen Texas, Dexter Missouri, Bell City Missouri, died October 6, 2024. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at Sharp Funeral Homes, Miller Road Chapel, 8138 Miller Road, Swartz Creek. (Mrs. Tinnin's funeral may be viewed by livestream from a link on her page at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com.) Visitation will be 12:00 PM until the time of the service. Interment will be held privately at Great Lakes National Cemetery.

Jo was born December 22, 1936, to James Franklin Young and Edna Francis Young (nee Miller), the seventh of eight children. Jo's early childhood was joyously spent in a loving rustic farmhouse with running water (hand pump well) and a conveniently located bathroom a mere 40 feet from the back door. Working alongside her siblings and Nazarene-Preacher father on a small sharecropper cotton farm, she always felt more comfortable working outside than in a kitchen. Jo was always proud of and very supportive of her family and loved sharing funny, sad, and inspiring stories from her youth. Jo married Charles Edward Tinnin in Dexter, Missouri on November 29, 1954 and began her married life as the wife of a career soldier. Jo chose the more adventurous option to join Charles through every assignment with the only exception of Vietnam. Her 19 years of whirlwind travel would cover 6 states, 2 countries and produce 4 precious sons.

After retirement from active service, Charles and Jo settled in Flint, Michigan giving them the stability of home ownership and the ability to put down "roots". As a 17 year old bride, Jo left high school in her senior year to start her life. Jo always wanted to complete her education and earn her Diploma, so she enrolled in Mott Adult Education and graduated from Flint Northern in 1977 with a 4.0 GPA. Jo volunteered as a mentor and helper to young single mothers in Flint through an assistance program until she hired into the US Postal Service as a rural carrier. After her retirement from the postal service, she remained busy through travel, crocheting, reading countless books including novels, history, religion, and biographies. As an avid diarist she chronicled her day to day life in her beautiful handwriting style. In her spare time, she read her Bible cover to cover annually, crocheted 78 afghan blankets that she anonymously gave to the homeless through the 3 churches she routinely attended.

Surviving are; sons, Anthony (Colleen) Tinnin of Grand Blanc, Gregory Tinnin (Helen DiMauro) of Forsyth, MO, William (Tricia) Tinnin of Grand Blanc; stepdaughter, Ginger Lee Tinnin of Delhi, CA; former daughter in law, Sylvia Tinnin-Martin (nee Quintanilla) (Tony) of Linden; grandchildren, Dawn, Tammy, Jason, Rolando (Jessica), Melissa (Eric), Ian, Connor, Sylvie (Nia), Gregory Jr. (Tori), Chris, Mark, SarahRita; great-grandchildren, Frankie, Joshua, Marc Anthony, Elianna, Mateo; sister, Clara Gillard of Puyallup, WA; special son, Melvin C. Riley Jr. and many nieces and nephews. Jo was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Edward Tinnin Sr.; son, Charles Edward Tinnin Jr.; and siblings, Paul (Lori) Young, James (Marylou) Young, Ruth Young, Maxine (Frank) Hartline, Eulene (Don) Prater, and Esther Young.

Tributes may be shared at www.sharpfuneralhomes.com.