It was with a heavy heart that the South Lake County Historical Society said “Good bye” to a dear friend and faithful volunteer last week. Joanne Apel and her beautiful smile will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Even when illness and age began to take their toll, Joanne continued to volunteer whenever and however possible. She is pictured above at the Society’s Heritage Day Festival where she demonstrated sewing (one of her many hobbies) on an antique treadle machine.
In addition to volunteering at special events, Joanne helped as a docent on weekends and served as a member of the Board of Directors. The Historical Society is not the only organization where Joanne was an active member. The Clermont Woman’s Club has also lost a dear member and former President. The Florida Lakes Symphony held a special place in her heart since she was a former music teacher. Joanne was also very active at her church, Open Door Baptist. All knew that if you wanted Joanne to come to a committee meeting, never schedule it on a Wednesday evening because she was at church and nothing came before that!
