Remembering Jo Croft
Jo Anna (Diller) Croft, 79, of Bluffton, died Jan. 13, 2021. Click here for her obituary. The following thoughts and memories were provided by her family
Jo was kind and loving, she exuded warmth and set all at ease with her calming demeanor.
She was raised in Bluffton and graduated with a teaching degree from Bluffton University. Jo was beloved by students in her elementary and Montessori school classrooms.
On Aug. 4, 1990, she married Bill Croft and they shared 30 loving years together. Jo loved spending time with family, especially delighting in time with her grandchildren.
She and Bill enjoyed cultivating their beautiful flower gardens, traveling, movies and countless card games with siblings. Jo was active in the community as a member of the First Mennonite Church and the Lion’s Club, and she also volunteered at Bluffton Hospital, was a poll worker during elections in Bluffton and delivered Meals on Wheels.
Lo was a dear friend to many, and could often be found discussing books, current events and sharing stories with her many book clubs, the Red Hat Club or over her weekly lunches with friends.
Stories Posted This Week
Friday, September 25, 2026
- Ada Icon headlines, September 25
- Clay, community, and the classroom
- September 25 Bluffton Schools athletics lineup, streaming
- Pirate volleyball loss vs. Crestview
- Pirate girls soccer win vs. Allen East
- Janine Elizabeth (Minnich) Millager, 87, was a lab technician
- Send October 2026 calendar events to the Icon
- New time for Planning and Bluffton Beyond Tomorrow meetings, Sept 29
- Pirate boys golf 10th at sectionals
- Fall Festival activities are all over Bluffton, Sept. 26
Thursday, September 24, 2026
- Marilyn Florence (Brunn) Osting, 94, was a nurse
- Paul Richard Wingate Jr., 79, worked for the Lima Ford Engine Plant
- Ada Icon headlines, Sept. 24
- Roundabouts celebrated for crash reduction
- Scarecrow competition for Bluffton businesses
- Hello, Goodbye: Diphenhydramine for allergies
- 5th Annual MHCO Gala will Roll Out the Red Carpet
- Funeral notice for Mary Louise Reddick
- ODNR urges caution during fall wildfire season
- Nursing student to share clinical research at First Tuesday in the Library
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
- Chamber members take a lesson from Jacomet's Martial Arts
- Proud of your pie? Sept. 26 apple pie baking contest
- Save November 6-7 for Holiday Open House
- Friends of the Library book sale, Sept. 24-26
- Pirate girls golf places 6th at sectionals
- Pirate volleyball outlasts Grove
- Bluffton tennis wins on consecutive nights
- Pirate boys soccer edged by Liberty Center