She was a member of First Baptist Church of Malabar and worked for several years as the administrative assistant of the Church. She was a member of Chapter 546 Order of the Eastern Star in Eminence, Indiana, and a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Post 189 American Legion in Sebastian, Florida.
Jonie Allison was born Jonetta Sue Meier on May 1st, 1954 in the little town of Hartsville, Indiana to John P. and Susie M. Meier. Her childhood church was a small United Methodist Church. She also attended a Church of Christ for a short time. She attended Hauser High School in Hope, Indiana, graduating in 1972. She received a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development from Fort Pierce Community College in May of 1983.
She married her first husband, Floyd Robert Whitehead on November 27, 1972, and as the wife of a marine, she moved several times over the next few years. During these years she was active in several churches as a song leader, speaker, and Sunday school teacher. She and another lady sang together as a group for five years, they were known as “Redeemed” and Jonie was even offered a contract with Decca Records. Due to the transient life of a marine wife, she chose not to sign. She did however have several CDs that she recorded from 1972 to 2020.
After Jonie lost her first husband to a massive heart attack on October 3, 1977, she felt that God was calling her once again and she and an evangelistic friend went on a missionary trip to India. When her friend took ill Jonie performed as many of the duties as she could herself.
On December 2, 1998, she married Donald Nester of Mooresville, Indiana. After her marriage to Don, she attended Willow Grove Nazarene Church in Morgan County, Indiana, and while there she obtained her ordination through United Faith Ministries and obtained her license as a Nazarene minister.
Jonie accepted the call as pastor of Poplar Grove United Methodist Church in 2004 and completed the license to preach course in March of 2008. She served faithfully for seven years during which time the Church grew in membership by over six hundred percent. She resigned from that post in June 2011.
She accepted the position of Associate Pastor of the much larger Monrovia United Methodist Church in September of 2011. Her husband passed away on March 16, 2012. Jonie continued to serve her church until January of 2013.
She married Kenneth James Allison on December 21, 2012, and they moved to Palm Bay, Florida in February of 2013.
Jonie has spoken or preached in several churches over the years and has won three awards for singing in different talent events. She has been the featured speaker at several women’s retreats in central Indiana and continued to sing gospel music with her husband until her death.
She always believed that one of her greatest accomplishments was when God through her led her nephew Mark to Christ and he now preaches and sings and works with young people to lead them to Christ.
She was preceded in death by her son Kristopher Whitehead.
She is survived by her husband of 8 years Kenneth Allison; three daughters Rebekah Dinkins of Cocoa, Florida, Wendy Cowger of Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Jean Marie Nester of Crawfordsville, Indiana; grandchildren Trey Whited, Nate Whited, Parker Duncan, Andrew Cowger, Malachi Cowger Hamilton, Noah M. Cowger, Bobby Cowger, May-Kyla Whitehead, Kristopher Whitehead, Alexis, Nichola, Brantley Lamarca, Allison Johnson Beal, Kala Johnson Mitchell, and Cory James Allison; and two great-granddaughters and numerous nieces and other family. She is also survived by her two best friends and sisters in Christ, Sandy Dooley of Columbus, Indiana who sang with her for five years, and Sue Kunkel of Palm Bay Florida.
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