Johanna Tedesco

Johanna Charlotte Tedesco was born on February 25, 1919 in Jersey City, New Jersey and went to be with her Lord and Savior on January 24, 2019.  She attended First Baptist Church, Millington, TN.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry S. Stevens and Johanna Sien Dorje Stevens; two sisters, Grace Stevens Estell and Elizabeth Stevens Kolbasowski, and her first husband, Jeremiah Francis Paoli who died in 1976. Johanna accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior in her early childhood.  She was a first generation born American in her family, the daughter of European immigrants.  Her family moved to the small town of Iselin, New Jersey.  She grew up in hard times, particularly throughout The Great Depression.  At that time, she had to leave school after the 8th grade to help the family by working at keeping house and children for others.   She married Jeremiah Paoli in 1939 and had three children of her own to raise in the 1940’s and one that arrived in the late 1950’s.  She was no stranger to hard work and in the early 1940’s, Johanna was a factory worker in New Jersey in support of the war effort.  She worked for Shell Oil on the docks of Bayonne, NJ, filling barrels with fuel for use in the war.   After the war, she was employed by Howell Electric Motors where she assembled parts for electric motors, large and small.  She became a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union and retired at the age of 70 with over 40  years of service.  She was a working mother well before it became a trend. Shortly afterwards, Johanna moved to Orlando, FL where her daughter Barbara and her husband were living.  In 1990, she married Angelo Robert Tedesco, and in 1994, she and her husband moved to Slidell, LA to remain near her daughter.  Angelo preceded Johanna in death in 2001, and in 2002, Johanna relocated to Memphis, Tennessee. She is survived by four children, Jerry Paoli (Lourdes) from Scottsdale, AZ, Joan Buke from Chandler, AZ, Barbara Booth (Dave) from Bartlett, TN, and Robert Paoli from Miami, FL.  She leaves 7 grandchildren, Jerry Burke (Kim) from Waxhaw, NC, Sean Burke (Heidi) from Phoenix, AZ, David Burke, from Chandler, AZ, Kathy Burke Calvi from Phillipsburg, NJ, Peter Paoli (Rebecca) from Champaign, IL, and extended family Mike Booth and Amy Booth; 17 great-grandchildren and one great, great grandchild.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to one of the following:  Oak Grove Baptist Church, 4048 TN-59, Covington, TN, Bartlett Hills Baptist Church, 4641 Ellendale Road, Bartlett, TN  38135 or The King’s Daughters and Sons Home, 3568 Appling Rd., Bartlett, TN  38133.     Family will receive friends from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Sunday, January 27th at Covington Funeral Home, 3499 US-51, Covington, TN  38019.  Services will follow at 3:00 p.m., at the Covington Funeral Home.  Interment will follow in Magnolia Gardens Cemetery.