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Wallace Joe Penner

Born  May 20, 1943
Hired  1979
Passed away  April 6, 2020

Photo No. 2466

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Wallace Joe Penner, of Beaumont, died on April 6, 2020, at the age of 76. He was born in Pryor, Oklahoma, and grew up in the countryside outside of Tulsa. After graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1966 with a degree in electrical engineering, he moved to Beaumont, where he spent the remainder of his life.

Joe began his engineering career with General Electric Corporation where he worked for thirteen years. For the remaining twenty-seven years of his career, he worked as an electrical engineer for Entergy Corporation (formerly Gulf States Utilities). Creative and resourceful, he could repair anything, build most anything, and fashion solutions to electrical and mechanical engineering problems. Joe was a registered professional engineer (P.E.). Though he was remarkably gifted, he was the most humble of men.

Joe met Jenny on January 1, 1969. They were introduced to each other at church by Mrs. Love. The story of Joe and Jenny's own love began that day and continued unabated for over 49 years. A number of months after they met in 1969, Joe was working out of town in New Jersey. While there, he wrote Jenny a letter declaring his love and proposing marriage to her. At the conclusion of that letter, he included a passage of scripture from Psalm 34:3: "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together." Joe honored his commitment to God and to Jenny throughout his life and during their 49 years of marriage.

Joe was a man who valued his family. His love for his wife, children, grandchildren, and other family members was boundless. He and Jenny spent many vacations camping with their children. They particularly loved to travel in their RV to state parks and corps of engineer parks in various parts of the United States. Their favorite state parks were Palo Duro Canyon State Park in north Texas and Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee.

Joe's priorities in life were his faith and his family. The Christian walk was not a part-time endeavor for him, but a full-time calling. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Bevil Oaks for many years and was a deacon in the church. He loved singing in the church choir, studying the Bible, teaching an adult Sunday School class, and working with the youth. His commitment to God was evident in all he did. As one of his co-workers stated during his speech at Joe's retirement ceremony, "Whenever you hear the name Joe Penner, you think of honor, integrity, and honesty."

Joe is survived by his wife, Jenny of Beaumont; daughter, Elisabeth Hale and her husband, John of Houston; son, Andrew Penner and his wife, Valerie of Lumberton; granddaughter, Ava Penner and grandson, Ethan Penner of Kountze; sister, Ronda Wise and her husband, Bill, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; brother, Lloyd Penner, of Mt. Hope, Kansas; and his dear, extended family members, Pam and Christian Edmonds and their children of Kountze.

Jenny wishes to thank Mrs. Roselyne Vertil, R.N., and all the other staff members at Serenity Assisted Care Living of Beaumont, Texas, who provided so much love and care to "Mr. Joe" and "Ms. Jenny" during their eleven month stay there.

A private graveside service will be held for Joe this week and his memorial service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, 2350 IH-10 East, Beaumont, Tx. 77703, or Gideon's International, P. O. Box 97251, Washington D.C. 20090-7251.



Click Here and scroll down For the obituary at the Broussard's Mortuary site.