Josephine Martha McInnis
January 3, 1918 - March 10, 2018 Escondido, CA
Josephine Martha McInnis passed away peacefully on March 10, 2018. Josephine had two loving sons, Thurman James Wagoner (deceased) and Donald Edward McInnis.
On January 20, 2018, a joyous celebration of her 100th birthday was had at her home in Escondido. Relatives and friends attended from Massachusetts, Oregon and Arizona, with a large contingent of family from the Los Angeles area. Josephine’s lifelong friends, Ann Dessert and sister-in-law’s Jenny West and Eileen Surette, and a large gathering of well-wishers enjoyed a catered affair with a live band and the Sisters of Swing, a 1940s Andrew Sisters act. The music and songs brought back memories to Josephine of her younger years during the Flapper-Swing era with Josephine and her guests singing along to the festive music.
Josephine was born in Yavapai County, Arizona to Florence Martha Reeves (born 1898) and Mariano Teordor Bindiola (born 1888). Ten months after she was born, on November 24, 1918, Josephine lost her father to the Great Influenza epidemic of 1918-1919. One of four sisters, Josephine was raised by her mother and a step-father. At one brief time during the Great Depression, Josephine and her sisters were cared for by neighbors in Arizona so her mother could take a job in Phoenix.
When World War II started, Josephine moved to Long Beach, California for a time and later back to the Phoenix area where she met a young solider in the Army Air Corps., Edward Peter McInnis (born 1919). They married in 1943. They both loved the then wild country and cowboy life of Arizona. They often camped and swam at Horse Mesa Dam’s Apache Lake. Jo and Ed enjoyed going to rodeos and riding horses in the desert around Apache Junction and Superstition Mountain.
After their son, Donald was born in 1944, they moved back to Edward’s family in Boston, Massachusetts. There Josephine met Edward’s parents Mary and Edward McInnis. Josephine had the daunting task of fitting into a large family of four brothers and three sisters. Not only did she win acceptance but made lifelong friends of this large, extended Celtic clan.
In the last 1940s, Josephine, Edward and Donald moved to San Jose, California. Edward’s youngest sister, Jenny, came along. Later Edward’s parents would also move to California.
Josephine and Edward were inseparable, always going everywhere and doing everything together. They were always referred to as Jo and Ed. After retirement they joined the “Joeyees”, a senior’s R.V. motorhome club, in San Jose and traveled all over the western United States and Canada. In 1998 Josephine and Edward moved to Escondido to be near their son Donald. They enjoyed 62 years of loving marriage in which they were able to celebrate their 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries with family and friends. Her beloved Edward passed away on April 27, 2006. Josephine was the last sister of her family to leave us. Josephine is survived by her son Donald Edward McInnis, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.
A visitation will be held Thursday, March 22, 2018, 4:00-8:00pm at Alhiser-Comer Mortuary Chapel. Escondido. Mass is Friday, March 23, 2018, 10:00am at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Escondido. Interment services are at Oak Hill Memorial Park, Escondido.