| JoAnn Behling ends her time as Emery County Treasurer. |
JoAnn Behling is retiring from the Emery County Treasurer’s Office after 12 years of service to the citizens of Emery County. Although she was born is Salt Lake City, she has spent most of her life in Ferron and considers herself a Ferron-ite. Her mother was from Emery and her father was from Brigham City. When she was two years old, her parents moved to Ferron and lived there until she was in kindergarten.
The family returned to Salt Lake City for about ten years before coming back to their Emery County home in Ferron. As a sophomore in high school, Behling thought her family had moved her to the end of the Earth, but soon came to love the area and the people in Ferron and elsewhere around the county. She met her husband, Dean Behling soon after returning to Ferron. The Korean War was in progress and Dean got drafted so the couple rushed their wedding plans so they could be married during Christmas holiday while Dean was home on a three-day pass.
When Dean came home from the service, the couple returned to Ferron and never left. They ran the Ferron Merc for about 17 years, although JoAnn is not quite sure how long. She worked as Ferron City recorder for 11 years prior to running for the office of Emery County Treasurer. She has served three terms in the courthouse office.
Dean passed away from cancer two months before they were to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Their three children all live in Ferron and are close by to keep JoAnn busy in her retirement.
Cynthia Nielson her only daughter works for Emery Telcom. Kern, who works for Chevron-Texaco, and Blake, who works for Elkhorn Construction, are her sons.
JoAnn plans to go home and enjoy her retirement and have fun.