Family of Joan Elizabeth Guthrie

Joan Elizabeth Meisenholder was born on July 3, 1931 in Fort Sam Houston, Texas to Philo and Marguerite Meisenholder. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, later completing a Master’s Degree in Education at Saginaw Valley State College (now University). Joan’s career as an elementary school teacher spanned 28 years.
Joan married Gene Guthrie on October 23, 1954 in Denver, Colorado and they raised two daughters, Melanie Harmon and Julie Guthrie. One of Joan’s greatest joys was singing. She sang in the choir at Kochville United Methodist Church where she was a member for over 50 years. She was also a member of the Saginaw Choral Society. In their retirement years, Gene and Joan enjoyed travelling and spending time with friends. He passed away in 2015; Joan passed away in 2023 at the age of 92.
To honor Joan’s commitment to her students and her teaching excellence, her family has established this scholarship fund to assist future teachers in pursuing their education at SVSU.