JoAnn Marie Cartledge

JoAnn Marie Sackberger Schweer Cartledge departed her earthly home to join her heavenly family on December 31, 2024 in Birmingham, Alabama. Funeral service will be Tuesday January 7, 2025 at Sunset Funeral Home at 2:30 PM with visitation one hour prior to service. She was the daughter of Al and Marie Sackberger in St. Louis, Mo.  She is survived by her husband of 35 years, GT Cartledge, her two sons, Alan Schweer & James Schweer, her two step sons Chris Cartledge and Cliff Cartledge, her 4 daughter-in-laws Julie Schweer, Regenia Schweer, Alise Cartledge, and Athena Cartledge, her brother Jerry Sackberger; plus 7 grandchildren (Christine Stroup, William Schweer, Kaitlyn Wilhelm, Kelsie Shelton, Carson Schweer, CeeCee Cartledge, and Cora Cartledge) and 5 great grandchildren (John Hampton Wilhelm, Amelia Wilhelm, Wyatt Wilhelm, Abigail Stroup, and Thomas Stroup).  She was originally married 20 years to her deceased husband, William Roy “Bill” Schweer of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  She spent her entire life as a role model being a parent, teacher, and loving spouse.

JoAnn was exceptionally beautiful and bright.  She was high school valedictorian at Hancock High School, St. Louis Mo. Highschool, going on to earn her BS with honors in education at University of Missouri.  Later she earned a Master’s degree from the University of Alabama while still working full time. She was most remembered being a teacher at several elementary schools from PA, MO, TX, TN, ARK, FL, West VA, and Alabama while concentrating on her affection to helping special needs elementary school children.  Originally a Special Education teacher, her passion to teach lead into becoming an elementary school teacher. Over a couple of decades, she thoroughly enjoyed teaching first graders how to read. She was also the teacher internship program director at the University of Alabama.  She made a positive impact on students for decades that still recall her strife for excellence.  For years, she provided Christian and learning books to all family members to encourage continued learning. 

Over the past 2 decades, she focused on her personal ministry with passing out little gold crosses.  Almost all of the children and grandchildren still have those little gold crosses in their cars as a daily reminder of the impact she made through her Christian walk.

After retirement, JoAnn and her husband GT, lived on Lake Tuscaloosa, before moving to their beautiful mountain home in Rising Fawn, GA.  Recently, GT and JoAnn moved back to Birmingham to be closer to the family she so dearly loved. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to Sozo Children in her memory.