Jo Juliano

Jo Ann (Davison) Juliano was born on April 12, 1928 the last child born to William Hesson Davison and Nelga Ann Brau and her two older brothers; William Ramey Davison and Jimmy Graham Davison. Jo Ann grew up during the Great Depression when at times her father would have to hunt rabbits to put food on the table. She was an artist at a very young age when she and her brother Jim would draw funny caricatures of each other and her mother would grade them before they would take the obvious ugly turn to pictures that could not be graded. Little Jo Ann was known around town as the sweet girl with the beautiful smile. As World War II was nearing, big brother Bill enlisted in the Army Air Corps and soon sent to England. Jim was soon to follow as a nose gunner in the big PBY-5A. Mom started entertaining the soldiers at Camp Swift with the USO and wrote many letters to young men overseas to brighten their days. When the war was over, Jo Ann graduated high school in 1945 and soon began attending Southwest Texas Teacher College (now Texas State University). Her artistry blossomed in College while she studied her craft of oil painting. In 1948, she was set up on a blind date with a young Captain Army Aviator named Amore "Vic" Juliano. Six months later they were married. Jo Ann had to become an Army wife and mother.

Jo Ann had three sons: Joe Victor Juliano; Samuel Peter Juliano; Richard David Juliano and her beloved daughter Vicki Jo (Juliano) Jacobson. Through the years Jo Ann took care of her mother Nelga Davison until her death in 1975. She raised her children with love, care, attention to education and had to fill in for her husband while he fought another war in Korea and his deployments to develop the helicopter age. Jo Ann was sweet and loving but she was a tough ol' Texan, which meant she gave as well as she took. She stopped her oil painting when she moved back to Smithville and became active in the Women's Club, the American Legion Auxiliary, The Smithville Heritage Society Jo Ann was an active member of the First Christian Church in Smithville, which her family helped to found' .She started building doll houses and making porcelain dolls. She made a scale replica of Ragsdale's Jewelry shop that was featured in the Smithville Times. She made several large doll houses and ran a doll business that she and Vic would travel to shows with. She then graduated to beautiful porcelain "Teacup Fairies" that were very sought after.

Jo Ann was predeceased by her eldest son Joe Vic Juliano in 2006 and her beloved husband Vic in 2011. She is survived by her son Sammy Juliano, daughter Vicki Jacobson and her husband David Jacobson; her son Rick Juliano and his wife Kathy (Peeler) Juliano and three step grandsons Ben, Daniel and Jon Grant.


Arrangements under the direction of Marrs-Jones Funeral Home, Smithville, TX.