Colonel Luvina (Joni) Triplett of the U.S. Air Force (ret.) went to be with her Lord and Savior Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019, at Meadow Lane Assisted Living of Bad Axe, Michigan.
She was born on Oct. 9, 1946, in Bad Axe to the late Edward and Hazel (Bouverette) Wiederhold. Joni graduated from Elkton Pigeon Bay Port High School in 1963. She graduated in 1967 from St. Mary’s School of Nursing of Saginaw.
Military academic achievements include graduation from both the Air Command Staff College in seminar in 1983 and of the Air War College in seminar in 1986. She received notification of her promotion to Colonel on Jan. 7, 1993. She worked for four years as a nurse at Atascadero State Hospital. She served at the tactical headquarters of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia during Desert Shield/Storm. During her reserve career she served with the 414th MSES Hospital at March AFB, the 68 AES at Norton AFB, the 67th AEF at Rickenbacher AFB, and the 146 AES at Van Nuys Air National Guard Base. She received her Chief Flight Nurse Wings while serving as a flight nurse.
After retirement from the Air Force, Joni continued her studies of Spanish. She used those skills as an interpreter for the government. She spent a year in China teaching English at Nanjing University of Science and Technology.
Joni loved children and went on numerous medical missions to Honduras, Guatemala and Zimbabwe to treat injured children and to tell them of the love of Jesus. Above all, Joni loved Jesus and never forgot Him!
Joni is survived by her 11 siblings, all but two living in Michigan: Marjorie (Gary) Frei, Kenneth (Maria) Wiederhold in Florida, Larry Wiederhold, Linda (Ken) Wymer, Robert (Roslyn) Wiederhold, Colleen (James) Holmes, Sandra (William) Erwin in Florida, Marsha (Thomas) Halka, Gail Prill, Fay (Kenneth) Ignash and Mark Widerhold; and many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and -nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Hazel and Edward Wiederhold; step-mother Allalee Wiederhold; sister Betty Cox; brothers Barry and Clark Wiederhold; sister-in-law Ruth Wiederhold; brother-in-law Paul Prill; two nieces, one nephew and one great-niece.
Funeral services for Joni were held Monday, Aug. 26, in Elkton Missionary Church. Burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery. Arrangements are being handled by the Kaufman Funeral Home of Bad Axe.
The family expresses a special thank-you to Residential Hospice and Meadow Lane Memory Care for the wonderful care Joni received.
Memories can be shared at www.Kaufmanfuneralhome.com.
