[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 16 (Tuesday, February 6, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S998]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO JOANNA CREECH

 Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
dear friend whose service to Kentucky has been truly amazing. Joanna 
Creech, who was hired during my tenure as Jefferson County judge/
executive 18 years ago, retired December 31 as a transcriber for 
Jefferson Fiscal Court.
  Joanna's service to the fiscal court has been extraordinary. Although 
Joanna has been blind since the age of 15, she recorded nearly 500 
sessions of court as her companion dog Fitz rested faithfully by her 
side.
  Born in Leslie County, Joanna was educated at the Kentucky School for 
the Blind, where she met her first husband. Married twice and widowed 
twice, Joanna has three wonderful children. For years, she operated a 
musical instrument store in Louisville with her first husband, Robert 
Johnson. After he passed away in 1977, Joanna was hired at the 
Jefferson Fiscal Court under a Federal job program.
  Known as a diligent and friendly perfectionist, Joanna has lamented 
in recent years that fiscal court meetings have grown ``mundane.'' In a 
recent article in the Louisville Courier-Journal, she said, ``It was so 
much more fun where they were at each other's throats.''
  In that article, the fiscal court clerk, Mary Bolton, said of Joanna, 
``She sees more with her ears than most people see with their eyes. Her 
perceptions are always on target.''
  After retirement, Joanna plans to spend more time with her family and 
volunteer as an instructor to the blind. An accomplished cook, she also 
plans to teach homemaking as well as Braille skills to blind students.
  Mr. President, I would ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute 
to an outstanding Kentuckian and dear friend, Joanna Creech. I wish her 
well in all her future endeavors. 

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