Joan Elizabeth Trost

Joan Elizabeth Trost, 92, went to Heaven on March 23, 2022. Born in Lima, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Rev. Walter David Landes and Nina Elizabeth Landes. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66-1/2 years, Donald Richard Trost, sisters Miriam Stover and Marjorie Hanthorn, and brother Lester Landes.

Joan is survived by her loving children; son Steve (Robyn); son Stan; daughter Sylvia Good (Don); grandchildren Jesse Trost (Ashley), Ben Trost (Casey), Jeremy Trost (Alex), Joy Shull (Robbie), Josh Trost, Brooke Unruh (Kyle), Kyle Good, Lauren Wood (Ryan); great grandchildren Cherish & Wyatt Trost, Crosby & Hudson Shull, Kaiden & Kylie Unruh, and Mia Trost.

She taught Elementary School, Sunday School, VBS, Child Evangelism Clubs, Children’s Church, led Puppet Ministry & Youth, and sang in the Church Choir for many years. She and Don served together in S.O.W.E.R.S. and led “Young At Heart” for the Senior Adults at Heritage Baptist Church. For several years, she was an Angel in the “I Can Only Imagine” Heaven Scene of Judgment House at Heritage. She loved nature, birds, plants, her pets Yogi, Tillie & Elsa, and perhaps had the largest collection of owls ever seen. Most of all, she loved investing into her family and the get-togethers for any occasion.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Tharp Funeral Home, Lynchburg, at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. Visitation will be held Monday, March 28, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Tharp Funeral Home, and one hour preceding the service on Tuesday.

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.

Joan Trost – Family Tributes

Steve Trost (son):

Mom was the best Mom, Grandma and Great-Grandma that we could have asked for. She loved her family tremendously, and we loved her. She loved and served her Lord her whole life and, up until the last few weeks of her life, seldom missed a day reading at least some in her Bible and praying for everyone in her family. I know that if she were able to come back and be with us again, she would want above everything else to be sure that every one of her loved ones was living for Jesus, and was sure of joining her in Heaven one day. 

Mom was always there for us, supporting and encouraging each of us. She will be greatly missed. One of my first memories of her was when, at age 7, she told me how to ask Jesus to forgive my sins and come into my heart, and I did. Both of my parents were wonderful role models of what it is to live a Christian life, and I will be forever thankful for that. 

A few minutes before she passed, though nearly blind, her eyes opened wide and she seemed to look right past us. We think she caught a glimpse of Heaven, or even of Dad or an Angel coming to take her to see Jesus.

Though death is never easy, God’s timing was evident, as it was with Dad’s passing. The family was able to be at her side at home as she left peacefully. Though we are saddened beyond words that she is no longer here, we can’t help but be thankful that she no longer suffers, she is reunited with Dad, and we know she is in Heaven with Jesus.

Robyn Trost (daughter-in-law):

 I only knew this lady about 7 years but in those 7 years I was blessed to know her and then become her daughter in law.  She was so special.  A Proverbs 31 woman for sure.  She often told me that we “spoke the same language” and I was very flattered by that, because she was definitely a lady.

 She taught me names of birds, names of flowers, shared her recipes, enjoyed a well set dinner table, celebrated every occasion possible, made new dishes that she thought everyone should like and was “highly offended” if it was not your taste and never let you live it down.

She gave me one of my greatest gifts ever, Steve!  When I married him, I was gifted wonderful in-laws and I am so thankful.

Being able to visit her weekly and talk to her about life was a treat.  Being with her when she passed on to heaven, an honor.  Knowing she is in the arms of Jesus and seeing her husband, whom she has missed everyday since he left in January of 2019, priceless. 

Thank you Ma for accepting me into your family, for loving me, for teaching me, for playing a joke on me this past thanksgiving, just because “you care”. 

I love you and am so happy you finally are dancing with Pa on streets of gold and have a body that is free of pain and suffering.  You are an angel.

Stan Trost (son):

Mom was a creative, eclectic, and virtuous inspiration to me, often encouraging to do for others before oneself. I will forever cherish her meals, home decorating, music, love of nature, and marriage with Dad. I miss you Mom and will love you forever!

Sylvia Good (daughter):

Mom was always hard to keep up with! As a child, I thought she had the longest legs in the world, even though she was 5’1” I needed to keep my eyes on her or I’d be left behind!  She was always busy and involved in all kinds of things and a wonderful cook!

I would love staying up for late night talks through my teen and college years! Mom never hesitated to speak her mind, but I know she always wanted what was best for me. She enjoyed being involved in my activities, as well as my family’s.

Great memories of family gatherings and holidays, camping, her grandkids sledding followed by hot chocolate and borrowing her home for parties and sleepovers, and just stopping by for a visit! She loved involvement in our lives and activities.

Three years ago after Dad passed, she went with us to visit our son, Kyle, in Nashville, and kept up with us quite well! I was hoping for many more years like that. 

As things continued to change, she clearly let every doctor, nurse, or medical person know she was ready to go to heaven. But, I wasn’t ready…even when her strength was gone, there was a glimmer of hope for so very long for her to eat one more bite or take one more sip, to wake up one more time, for just one more brief conversation, to get one more kiss or smile…and to not be in pain…

I will always miss her love, support, encouragement, fun times, holidays and events with her, family gatherings at her home, and just stopping by to see Mom.

I am so richly blessed and thankful for all these years with her and the many things I have learned, as well as being able to be there for her final breaths on earth. I can’t wait to see her new body again in heaven, along with Dad’s!

 Don Good (son-in-law):

Joan, Grandma, was my mother-in-law, I called her Mom for nearly 33 years.  Follower of Christ for 85+ years. Sold out to Him. Great wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend. I really could talk with her about anything.

Ben Trost (grandson):

She was one of a kind, the life of the party. Always finding reasons for us all to get together. So many memories and good times. Life moves on but it won’t be the same. Miss you both…

Brooke Unruh (granddaughter):

Nothing makes me happier than thinking of my grandma’s sweet and long-awaited reunion with my grandpa in heaven. 

What I will miss most about grandma is her smile and her pure joy and excitement whenever I got to see her. 

My grandma loved “love” more than anyone I know. Throughout 66-1/2 years of marriage, she and my grandpa always got dressed up to celebrate their anniversary and even celebrated their dating anniversary. Year after year, they remained “in love.”

Grandma always tried to be quite the matchmaker. Many would be surprised to know that she faithfully watched the show “The Bachelor” and I always enjoyed chatting with her about what was going on during the episodes from year to year.

I always knew grandma loved me very much, but since I’ve become a mother, I get to have an even better picture of how big that love was through the way my mom loves and adores being a grandma (Gigi) to my children. I know that love is the same love my grandma had for all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. 

I hope that when it’s my time to leave this world, that people would look back on my life to see a woman with many of grandma’s attributes. A woman who strived to put Christ first in all things. A woman who dearly loved her husband with all of her heart, for all of her life. A woman who loved, adored, and cherished her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. A woman who loved serving others. A woman after God’s own heart. 

 Jeremy Trost (grandson):

Grandma,

Like you, I’m going to keep this short and sweet. 

I can’t begin to describe what you meant to this family, how much joy and wisdom you’ve imparted on us over the years. You were one of a kind. Loving, caring, strong, fiesty…there was no quit in you. Selfless—You could have left us years ago, but you stuck around long enough to see me get married and even longer for me to contribute another grand-minion to your growing brood of grandpa look-a-likes. I know you tried to stick around long enough to see Josh and Kyle get married, but we all knew you couldn’t wait forever. 

Thanks for hanging in there. Thanks for all the days I got to spend talking and laughing with you. Thanks for praying for me and offering good life advice. Thanks for setting a great example for this family. Thanks for never giving up, on anyone, ever. Thanks for all the memories. Life just won’t be the same without you. 

It was a long road, but you made it. Your time was served, your debt paid. Finally, you can rest in the hands of the Almighty. Give grandpa a hug for me. I’ll see you both soon. 

Kyle Good (grandson):

 I couldn’t be more blessed getting to have this lady as my Grandma.

She was quite the character with a larger than life personality and dramatic reactions that often made us laugh. She loved God and her family more than anything and was never afraid to speak her mind, even when it was tough love.

Grandma was always a romantic and often tried to play matchmaker for us all. I’m pretty sure her biggest fear for me was that I would die alone. She tried to set me up many times over the years, often with one of the homeschool girls from her church (no offense to those who are/were homeschooled and sorry that I’m still single, Grandma).

I will never forget all the fun times we shared at my grandparents’ house with my sisters and cousins – early morning hot chocolates while Grandma and Grandpa drank their coffee, playing hide and seek and her chasing us kids around the house pretending to be an ogre, washing our disgusting feet after we would play outside barefoot, the best snow days, birthday parties, bonfires, camping trips, and family gatherings always complete with delicious home cooked meals – minus the coleslaw, fruitcake, and copper pennies (whatever those were). 

Grandma and I shared mutual interests for things like animals, traveling, music, and theatre. We watched ‘The Sound of Music’ together multiple times over the years, and I even got her to become a Carrie Underwood fan this past year after playing her Carrie’s gospel album. At 91, Grandma remembered and sang along with the lyrics of every hymn on the album.

She and Grandpa were two of my biggest supporters. I am so thankful for their abundant love, presence, and example they were to us all. I will cherish our memories together until we all meet again.

Though we will miss her tons, I feel mostly at peace knowing Grandma had been longing for this and she is now doing better than ever. I have no doubt that Jesus greeted her saying, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant,” and it makes me so happy to imagine her reunion with Grandpa.

Joy Shull (granddaughter):

There are a whole lot of lives that are here because of my grandma. I’ll keep with me some of my favorite memories of her: the warm foot baths that were my favorite. I used to think it was just something she liked to do but later realized I’m sure it was necessity due to my feet always being black from running around barefoot outside.  How she always made the best homemade bread and cinnamon rolls. There was nothing like a piece of fresh bread with butter or a warm cinnamon roll on a Saturday morning, sleepovers and puppet shows with my cousins, and sledding all day in the winter followed by hot chocolate and more home cooked meals. She truly loved her family and she will be missed by us all.

Lauren Wood (granddaughter):

When I think of my Grandma, I think of someone who was godly, intentional, hard-working, determined, a homemaker, creative, artistic, enthusiastic, spunky, classy, candid, outspoken, honest, genuine, servant-hearted, someone who put family first, a lover of animals, and a owl/bird fanatic.  My aunt said it well, she truly was a Proverbs 31 Woman.  She loved others with everything in her. She was a wonderful wife who loved and cared for my Grandpa so well for 66 & 1/2 years. She is loved dearly by her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was always hard at work and kept herself busy. She used her creativity and servant’s heart to bless and serve others. She made the most beautiful and thoughtful birthday cards that I will treasure forever. She was an amazing cook, and taught me to clean my plate at a young age. Everything she did in life seemed to be done with purpose and intent. She was so full of life. If I had exciting news, she was someone I was eager to share it with. And her reaction never disappointed. Her enthusiasm for others would light up a room. She gave the best hugs—she hugged tight and let me know that I’d be missed until next time. And she lived with true integrity, which is hard to come by.  

I made countless memories with my siblings and cousins at grandma and grandpa’s including playing games at their house with my grandparents, sleepovers at their house with breakfast often including Grandma’s homemade cinnamon rolls which were the best, snow days with cousins and friends sledding down the best hill behind their house (but also the worst hill to climb back up), adventures in the woods and creek behind their house with my cousins, birthday parties at their house including games, bonfires, hayrides, and sleepovers. My grandparents, along with my parents, were my biggest cheerleaders throughout my years in school and including nursing school. They supported me at every academic, musical, and sporting event possible and were a big encouragement to me throughout nursing school. 

As I grew up, I enjoyed regularly spending time with my grandparents. My favorite adult memories included just watching the way my grandparents interacted—even their bickering was in love. I loved seeing the way they loved each other. I loved hearing them talk about their younger years, especially stories about when they were first dating and when they got engaged.  I loved watching the way they cared for one another as they grew older together. A love like theirs seems rare these days. And I pray that my marriage mirrors the love of Christ the way that theirs did. Other favorite memories included Grandma’s reaction when I told her I was engaged as well as her reaction when she saw me in my dress on my wedding day, and of course just having her be a part of that day meant so much to me. 

It was difficult to see my grandma live for 3 years without her other half, but it taught me about the brevity of life and taught me to spend time with those I love when I have the chance. My grandma is one of the most special people in my life and I will miss her dearly, but I am filled with peace and joy for her knowing she is finally with her Savior and with my grandpa—both of which she has been waiting so eagerly to be with.

Josh Trost (grandson):

Grandma was one of the best cooks and always had the best family get togethers. I’m glad you finally get to be with grandpa again. I love you both.