Joanna Kay Mathson

Joanna Kay Butchart Mathson was born Sept. 13, 1943, in Nampa, Idaho, to Wayne and Alice (Roberts) Butchart. She passed from this life into the presence of Jesus in her sleep April 20, 2026, at Heritage Assisted Living and Memory Care in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Her first home was in Sparks, Nev. As a pastor for the Church of the Nazarene, her father’s calling took him on to churches in West Seattle, Wash.; Reno, Nev.; McMinnville, Ore.; Salem, Ore.; and Yakima, Wash. 

In 1961, Joanna graduated from Eisenhower High School in Yakima. That same year, she entered Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, but illness forced her to leave college. After she recovered, she began working in a pathology lab, learning how to prepare slides such as pap smears for examination. 

Joanna did that for two years until the whole Butchart family moved to Los Angeles, Calif., in 1964. On arrival, she checked the Yellow Pages and found a hospital with a pathology department. They hired her and also entered her into their training program to become a cytotechnologist, the one who screens the slides to see if they have cancer or other abnormalities. Her teacher said Joanna was the best student she had ever had. At the same time, Joanna was getting her AA from a community college in order to become a certified cytotech. She found great satisfaction in her work of helping to fight cancer and did that for the rest of her working life. In later years, she was the supervisor of several other cytotechs. 

At Faith Center Church in Glendale, Calif., Joanna met James Arthur Mathson, formerly a Marine paratrooper in Vietnam. In December 1967, they married. Over a period of three years and 10 months, Eric James, Lee Dennis and Lisa Christine were born. Joanna and Jim raised their children in the Auburn, Wash., area. Their marriage ended in divorce. In 2000, Joanna moved to Moses Lake, where she continued to work until retirement. She surrounded herself with rescued cats. Also, she attended Grace Harvest Church and was actively involved in an intercessory prayer group, praying for family, state, country and the world. She remained there until January 2025 when she needed 24-hour care. 

Joanna was preceded in death by her brother, Dennis, at age 19, her mother at age 71 and her father at age 95. She is survived by her three children, Eric, Lee and Lisa Echternkamp; 10 grandchildren: Alexandra, Malory (Justin Borthwick), Zechariah, Zoe, Emma and Molly Mathson; Mason, Carter and Ella Echternkamp; and Emily Mathson (Justice Straub); five great-grandchildren: Timothy and Ezekiel Borthwick, Eliza and Rhys Straub and Shane Mathson; and her sister, Marcia Butchart. 

Joanna was beautiful, smart, articulate, logical, hospitable, compassionate toward people and animals, faithful in prayer and deeply devoted to God. She loved and created beauty. She will be deeply missed by those who love her. 

Her funeral service will be Saturday, May 2, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Kayser’s Chapel of Memories, 831 S. Pioneer Way, Moses Lake, Wash. Graveside service will follow at Guarding Angels Cemetery.

Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at kayserschapel.com. Arrangements are under the care of Kayser's Chapel of Memories.