Iona Marie Moore

Mother Iona Marie Moore, 91, transitioned peacefully from her earthly home in Kansas City, Missouri to her heavenly home on December 17, 2017. She was born on September 30, 1926, in Wichita Kansas to Morris Harold McCoy and Johanna Hill-McCoy. She grew up in Wichita, Kansas. She graduated from Central Intermediate High School in Wichita, Kansas. After high school, she attended Business of Cosmetology, and Saint Francis University in Wichita, Kansas, where she received her cosmetology license, and she received an RN degree in nursing. She began working for St Joseph Medical Hospital when located on Linwood in June 1951 as an RN Surgical Nurse. She retired in nursing May 23, 1983 after over 32 years of service. She was involved in cosmetology afterwards, doing hair for 10 years. She married Gaston B. Moore, Sr., in December 27, 1976 in Kansas City, MO. They were happily married for 18 years. Together they had a blended family of 15 children. “Mother Iona Moore”, as she was affectionately known, believed that God heard and answered her prayers and OH ... how she would pray!! This feisty 91-year-old woman of God was unstoppable. She never complained. She wasn’t just her children’s mother, but there were so many children in the Lord that she claimed as her own. Mother Iona Moore was a faithful prayer warrior and member at Pentecostal Church of God in Christ under the leadership of Bishop Daniel M. Jordan for over 45 years. She was also on the Mother’s Board. Through the years she ministered along with some 50 prayer warriors to those who were hospitalized, sick and shut-in and incarcerated. As President of the Pentecostal Prayer Warriors, she believed in fasting and praying for God to tell her what to do next. Mother Iona Moore was preceded in death by her parents Mr. & Mrs. Morris and Johanna McCoy, her husband Mr. Gaston B. Moore, and her sons Earnest Orie Overton and James Eugene Jones. Nine of Iona’s twelve siblings preceded her in death: her sisters, Cozetta Wofford, Lorretta “Toney” Arnold, Ida Mae Floyd, Evelyn “Abbey” Alexander and Vivian “Vivie” Martin; and brothers, James Monroe, Delano Monroe, Morris Harold McCoy “Goodie”, and her baby brother Eugene “Tete” McCoy. Two grandchildren, Stacey D. Ricks-Jones and Estin Wayne Overton, also preceded her. She leaves to cherish her memory her four children, Raymond “Rayo” (Cheryl) Overtone, Wilbert A. (Gina) Jones, Donna “DeJaizah” M. Jones and Debbie M. Bennett; a special daughter Alice Batts; her loving sisters, Ruth Naomi Shaffer and Maxine “Babe” Sanders; more than 95 grandchildren, great-grandchildren; and great-great grandchildren a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends; several dearest friends, Mother Versie Crawford, Evangelist Yvonne “Dimples” Bass, Sis. Richa McKinney; and her very special beautician, Gina Dennis, who kept her looking beautiful.