Joann "JoJo" Stegall

Joann “JoJo” L. Stegall, 70, of Nebo NC went home to be with the lord on February 24th, 2026, after many years of declining health. Born on July 2, 1955, in Concord NC, she was the daughter of the late James Odell and Kathleen Morris Lambert.

Joann was raised in Kannapolis NC where she attended A L Brown High School and also Rowan Cabarrus Community College. Joann spent many years working in the classified advertising sales department of The Daily Independent / Independent Tribune where she sold ads to many businesses in Kannapolis and the surrounding areas. Joann enjoyed her job and the many people she met and worked with until her retirement in 2004.

Joann loved spending time with friends and family more than anything. She was well known for her laugh and how she made others laugh, as well as for her quirky and sometimes eccentric personality. Joann had many hobbies and an eclectic taste for decorating. She loved anything that she deemed pretty. She loved reading, gardening, and finding new movies to watch. She collected owls, seashells, birdhouses, windchimes, and later in life, stray cats! Joann spent her last years rescuing cats, feeding them and providing a warm place for them to sleep. Joann loved all wildlife and spent a lot of time watching for them to appear at her back porch so that she could feed them and make sure they had water. When she wasn’t busy with one of her many hobbies or napping on the couch, she would spend many hours on the phone talking to her best friend of many years, and whom she considered as close as a sister, Cathy Wilkes.

In addition to her parents, Joann was preceded in death by her sister Teresa “Terri” Johnson and her beloved poodle, Steely, along with many other cherished pets.

Those left to cherish her memory are her son Brian Wilkerson and wife Cheryl of Nebo NC. A grandson, Brad Miller and wife Elana of Nebo NC. A granddaughter Hailey Peterson and husband Erin of Morganton NC. Joann had great-grandchildren as well. Great Grandsons, Jaxon and Kade Miller of Nebo, NC, Great granddaughters Evalina Flores of Nebo NC and Caroline Peterson of Morganton NC and great grandbaby Peterson due to arrive in September 2026. A brother, Don Lambert of Kannapolis, many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, great-great nieces and nephews, as well as too many friends to count. She had two very special Hospice Nurses whom she loved dearly, Samantha Burleson of Morganton and Crystal Wedderburn of Morganton.

A very special thanks to VIA Health Partners Hospice Care and especially the staff at Wendover Hospice House of Shelby NC. They were nothing short of amazing while caring for Joann during her time with them.

In lieu of flowers, and in honor of Joann and her passion for rescuing stray cats and her care team with Hospice, we would like to ask that donations be made to the following:

Pawz4ever Cat Rescue by Pam Huffman in Taylorsville, NC. Pam is personally known for over 40 years and does an amazing job rescuing feral cats to have them spayed, neutered, and rehabilitated when possible. You may donate via:

Venmo: @Paws4ever

Paypal: @Pawz4ever

CashAp: $NCJeeper

Or you can call Alexander County Veterinary Services at 828-632-8742 and make a donation to Pam Huffman Rescue account. All donations go toward providing veterinary care and rehabilitation for rescued cats.

Hospice donations can be made to:

Via Health Partners

Wendover Hospice House of Shelby

953 Wendover Heights

Shelby, NC 28150

A funeral service will be held at 1:30pm on March 6, 2026, at Whitley’s Funeral Home Chapel in Kannapolis, with burial to follow at West Lawn Memorial Park in China Grove. Visitation will be held prior to the funeral service from 12:00pm to 1:30pm at Whitley’s Funeral home.