Joanne Gardner
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Joanne "Jo" Gardner is a fictional character from the long-running soap opera ''
Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show focu ...
''. The role was played by actress Mary Stuart for the show's entire run (1951–86). Joanne was married four times, making her full legal name Joanne Gardner Barron Tate Vincente Tourneur.


Style

A " salt of the earth" kind of heroine, Stuart's character was the understanding best friend who would love to (and often did) commiserate with other characters about their sorrows over coffee. She frequently counseled best friends
Stu Stu is a masculine given name or nickname, usually a shortened form (hypocorism) of Stuart or Stewart. It may refer to: Stuart * Stu Barnes (born 1970), Canadian retired National Hockey League player * Stu Block (born 1977), Canadian singer-so ...
and Marge Bergman. Her role shifted in the 1970s to counseling younger women on the program, when the actress who played Marge died, and Stu was given his own story. Even when truly dismayed by actions (such as sister Eunice sleeping with her husband, or her daughter willfully marrying into a family who wanted to alienate her from her mother), she usually forgave offenders who showed true remorse. She got a reputation for being "simple-minded" by forgiving and forgetting, as other characters (Irene Barron in the early days, Aunt Cornelia Simmons, Patti's in-law Andrea Whiting, and Stephanie Wilkins later) saw her to be weak and attempted to prey upon her. In true soap opera fashion, however, it was Joanne's rivals who ate crow.


Background

Joanne was raised in the city of Henderson somewhere in the U.S. Midwest. Her parents were Frank Gardner, an accountant, and Helen Gardner, a housewife. Helen died of heart disease in the mid-1950s. Joanne has at least one sibling, a sister named Eunice, who came to town and slept with Joanne's second husband Arthur Tate. However, Eunice reformed, apologized to Joanne, and became part of the family again. Joanne attended Wilson Grammar School, Henderson High School and attended Henderson College (later Henderson University) for two years before marrying Keith Barron.


Storylines

Joanne was whisked away from her college studies by wealthy Keith Barron, who married her and bought her a house in the town of Henderson. Shortly after, she gave birth to a daughter named
Patricia Patricia is a female given name of Latin language, Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word ''Patrician (ancient Rome), patrician'', meaning "noble"; it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick (given name), Patrick. The name Patr ...
(nicknamed Patti). Keith's meddling mother, Irene, tried very hard to turn him away from Joanne, as Irene believed that Joanne wasn't nearly good enough for her son. Keith's sister was wise to Irene's controlling ways and tried to warn him, but to no avail. He died of injuries from a car accident in 1952, leaving Joanne a widow. Irene, sensing opportunity, fought for custody of young Patti, arguing that Joanne was unable to provide for her daughter. Joanne proved her wrong by buying and running the Motor Haven Inn. In an attempt to tarnish Joanne's reputation, Irene hired people to sabotage the inn. At the same time,
Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
thugs tried to take over control of the inn, as they didn't believe a woman was strong enough to run a business on her own. Both attempts failed, and Irene left town. A local businessman, Arthur Tate ( Terry O'Sullivan), was interested in financing the inn when Joanne experienced difficulties. Arthur and Joanne fell in love and were married. Patti, now in her early teens, was legally
adopted Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
by Arthur shortly after he married Joanne. To get enough money, Arthur persuaded his Aunt Cornelia to give him part of his inheritance. She agreed, if only to meddle in their affairs, because, like Irene, Cornelia hated Joanne and the stock she came from. Eventually, Aunt Cornelia died and Arthur earned all of his inheritance. Arthur was not a strong man, but he loved Joanne. First, he became an alcoholic. Then, in 1962, a woman came to town suing him for paternity (it was really not his child). In 1963, Arthur and Joanne's son, Duncan Eric Tate, ran in front of a car and was killed, causing mental anguish for both of them. Finally, Joanne's sister
Eunice Eunice is a feminine given name, from the Greek Εὐνίκη, ''Euníkē'', from "eu", good, and "níkē", victory. Eunice is also a relatively rare last name, found in Nigeria and the Southeastern United States, chiefly Louisiana and Georgia. Pe ...
came to town and slept with Arthur. The stress surrounding the possibility that he could shatter his marriage and his relationship with his daughter caused him to die of a heart attack in February 1966. To keep herself busy after Arthur's death, Joanne took a job as the librarian at Henderson Hospital. A suitor came calling later in the year in the form of Sam Reynolds (
Robert Mandan Robert Mandan (February 2, 1932 – April 29, 2018) was an American actor, best known for his roles as Sam Reynolds on ''Search for Tomorrow'' (1965–1970), Chester Tate, the womanizing businessman husband of Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond ...
), who was Arthur's rival. To prove his worth to Joanne, he saved her daughter Patti when she was held at knifepoint (a nurse, Patti had access to drugs that gang members wanted). Sam and Joanne started 1967 with major decisions. Sam offered to sell the Motor Haven Inn for her, while Joanne cut off her excess hair, which she had grown while married to Arthur. It was a soap event when Joanne took off her
kerchief A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpos ...
to show a modern hairstyle—one of her gifts to Sam. While very devoted to one another, both Sam and Joanne were over the age of 40 and wished to take things slowly. In 1969, Sam proposed to Jo, with a wedding planned for 1970. However, Sam went on a trip to Africa and was presumed dead, leaving Joanne devastated. He later returned to town (then played by
George Gaynes George Gaynes (born George Jongejans; May 16, 1917 – February 15, 2016) was a Finnish-born American singer, actor, and voice artist. Born to Dutch and Russian-Finnish parents in the Grand Duchy of Finland of the Russian Empire, he served in the ...
), but they could not rekindle their old feelings. Later that year, Joanne lost her eyesight in a car accident, and neurosurgeon Dr. Tony Vincente saved her life. She regained her vision and fell in love with her doctor, whom she married in 1972. The actor who played Tony,
Anthony George Anthony George (born Ottavio Gabriel George; January 29, 1921 – March 16, 2005) was an American actor mostly seen on television. He is best known for roles of Don Corey in CBS's ''Checkmate'', Burke Devlin #2 and Jeremiah Collins on ABC's ...
, did not like how his character developed, and he was written out in June 1975 as Tony died of a heart attack in Jo's arms. At the age of 50, Joanne had endured the deaths of four
significant other The term significant other (SO) has different uses in psychology and in colloquial language. Colloquially, "significant other" is used as a gender-neutral term for a person's partner in an intimate relationship without disclosing or presuming ...
s. Another devastating blow came in 1976 when her sister Eunice, who had long since given up her scheming ways and reformed, was fatally shot by her husband's mistress. After Eunice's death, Joanne adopted her niece, Suzi Martin. In 1976, Joanne teamed up with her best friend
Stu Bergman Stu is a masculine given name or nickname, usually a shortened form (hypocorism) of Stuart or Stewart. It may refer to: Stuart * Stu Barnes (born 1970), Canadian retired National Hockey League player * Stu Block (born 1977), Canadian singer-so ...
and bought the Hartford House, turning it into an upscale
bed and breakfast Bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have between four and eleven rooms, wit ...
. She ran this business until the inn was destroyed in an explosion in 1982. After Hartford House, Jo became a hostess for a tavern along the Henderson River called "The Riverboat," which Stu, Jenny (
Linda Gibboney Linda Gibboney (born March 7, 1951 in New York City, New York) is an American actress, best known for her roles on soap operas and serials. These roles included "Sybil Thorne, R. N." on '' All My Children'' (1979–1981) and "Jenny Deacon K ...
) and Wendy ran. It too was destroyed when Travis (
Rod Arrants Rodney Allen Arrants (September 5, 1944 – February 21, 2021) was an American actor. Arrants was born in Los Angeles, California, on September 5, 1944. He acted on the daytime programs ''The Young and the Restless'', '' Another World'', ''Day ...
) met his demise against Warren ( Michael Corbett) and Ringo Altman (
Larry Fleischman Larry is a masculine given name in English, derived from Lawrence or Laurence. It can be a shortened form of those names. Larry may refer to the following: People Arts and entertainment * Larry D. Alexander, American artist/writer *Larry Boone ...
). Starting in the mid-1970s, Joanne was showcased less on the program. She became rivals with Stephanie Wilkins, who had an affair with her third husband, Tony, and later married John Wyatt, her former brother-in-law, out of spite. Joanne's final stories involved her romance with
Martin Tourneur ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show focu ...
(
John Aniston John Anthony Aniston (born Yannis Anastassakis, , July 24, 1933 – November 11, 2022) was a Greek-born American actor who played Victor Kiriakis on the NBC daytime drama series ''Days of Our Lives'', which he originated in July 1985 and played ...
), whom she married in 1980. They later divorced, which was considered a scandal because it was Joanne's first divorce. Mary Stuart confessed that because she had divorced him because of his infidelity, she laughingly considered herself the "world's oldest ingenue". In early 1985, Jo's granddaughter Sarah Whitting (
Michelle Joyner Michelle may refer to: People *Michelle (name), a given name and surname, the feminine form of Michael * Michelle Courtens, Dutch singer, performing as "Michelle" * Michelle (German singer) * Michelle (Scottish singer) (born 1980), Scottish wi ...
) came to town to pursue a music career as a folk singer. Sarah was hiding out inside an abandoned building in Henderson. One day it caught fire, and Wendy and Quinn saved her life. When Sarah recovered after the fire, she told Jo that she left Seattle because there were problems with Patti and Len, her parents. Sarah also helped Jo and Stu turn the abandoned building that caught fire into another upscale bed and breakfast called Caldwell House, which was operated by a scheming man named Melvin Hibbard (
Ralph Byers Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...
). In October 1985, Jo received a letter from one of her ex-husbands, Martin Tourneur, that said he was in trouble. Jo flew to San Marcos to search for him but was unsuccessful. As she was about to return home, some people who were after Martin abducted but eventually released her, unharmed. Jo then returned to Henderson and received a telegram from Martin, who said he was no longer in San Marcos but he was somewhere safe. He also told Jo that he still loved her. While Jo sought information through Hogan McCleary, Adair McCleary and Chase Kendall went to San Marcos in search of Martin. Adair and Chase found Estelle Kendall: T.R.'s, Alex, Steve, and Chase's mother, also Lloyd's wife, who had supposedly died years ago. Estelle learned about what had happened to Martin through Adair and Chase. After hearing about recent events in San Marcos through the Henderson Herald newspaper, Jo became concerned along with Hogan about Bragg (
Viggo Mortensen Viggo Peter Mortensen Jr. R (; born October 20, 1958) is an American actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and multimedia artist. Born and raised in the State of New York to a Danish father and American mother, he also lived in Argentin ...
), the man who was hired by Hogan McCleary to investigate Martin and his connections to San Marcos. In November 1985, Jo was devastated when her granddaughter Sarah Whitting was murdered by her business partner for The Caldwell House, Melvin Hibbard, who at the time was plotting to destroy Joanne and her bed and breakfast. With Sarah dead, Melvin kidnapped Jo for revenge and so that he could kill her too and then ruin the Caldwell House. After her ordeal with Sarah's death and her kidnapping situation, Jo went to confront Estelle Kendall (
Domini Blythe Domini Blythe (August 28, 1947 – December 15, 2010) was a British-born Canadian actress. Her numerous stage, film and television credits included ''Search for Tomorrow'', ''External Affairs'', ''The Wars'', '' Savage Messiah'', ''Montreal Stori ...
) about her connections to Martin, the island of San Marcos, and Rivera (
Lloyd Battista Lloyd McAteer Battista (born May 14, 1937, in Cleveland, Ohio) is a retired American actor and screenwriter. Biography Battista studied acting at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He was active on Broadway and off-Broadway stages, appearing ...
); afterwards, Jo blamed Estelle for all that she had done to Martin during their love affair. While still sad over the death of Sarah, Jo, Stu, Cagney, Suzi, Bela and Wendy all believed that Melvin Hibbard didn't kill Sarah, this coming to the conclusion that someone else did. It turned out there was a serial killer loose in the town of Henderson, the killer eventually murdered Stephanie Wyatt (
Maree Cheatham Maree Cheatham (also credited as Marie Cheatham, born June 2, 1940) is an American actress, who is known for her performances on the daytime soap operas '' Days of Our Lives'' (1965–68, 1970–71, 1973, 1994, 1996, 2010), ''Search for Tomorrow' ...
,
Louise Shaffer Louise Shaffer (born July 5, 1942) is an American actress, script writer, and author. Biography Shaffer was born in Woodbridge, Connecticut, where she showed an interest in acting early on in her life. After finishing high school, she attended ...
), in February 1986, right before the major flood that wiped out almost all of Henderson; On Christmas Day in 1985, her daughter Patti came back to town after not being in Henderson for eight years. She had divorced her husband, Len, who remained in Seattle with his mother. Patti returned partially to bring closure to the murder of her daughter, Sarah. In February 1986, a major flood caused much destruction for the town of Henderson. Jo almost died but was rescued by Hogan ( David Forsyth) and Patty (Jacqueline Schultz). Jo then helped others get back on their feet following the flood. The Caldwell House survived, but many residents died or were missing, and buildings were destroyed. Robert Olsen (
Nicholas Hormann Nicholas is a male given name and a surname. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Churches celebrate Saint Nicholas every year on December 6, which is the name day for "Nicholas". In Greece, the name and its ...
) made an offer to Jo after he resigned his position at the Liberty House. Jo decided not to run the Caldwell House anymore and to start a new bed-and-breakfast called "Liberty House". In October 1986, Jo was devastated when her niece Suzi McCleary (Eunice's daughter) was killed by an unstable woman, Ella Hobbs (
Ann Flood Ann Flood (born Maryanne Elizabeth Ott; November 12, 1932 – October 7, 2022) was an American actress, best known for her role as journalist and author Nancy Pollock Karr in the soap opera ''The Edge of Night'', a role she began in 1962. Floo ...
), who wanted revenge from the McCleary family after a payroll robbery that Ella was involved in with her lover, Judge Jeremiah Henderson ( William Prince), years earlier with Suzi's husband's father, Malcolm McCleary ( Patrick Tovatt). It turned out the Malcolm was alive and fled to Ireland and that his twin brother was the one that was killed in the payroll robbery, not him. While the McClearys were about to reunite with the patriarch of the family, Ella was about to kill Jo, when she was held hostage in the elevator shaft at Liberty House. But Stu, Evie, Cagney, Jerry and Jeremiah rescued Jo, and Ella fell to her death. On December 26, 1986 (the final episode Of ''Search For Tomorrow''), Jo watched Patti marrying Hogan McCleary. Later in the evening, Stu Bergman asked Jo, "What is it, Jo, what is it you're searching for?". She replied, "Tomorrow, and I can't wait!" They then hugged as they looked back on thirty-five years of friendship.


Sources

**Baldwin, Faith, Search for Tomorrow, Popular Library, 1966. **LaGuardia, Robert, From Ma Perkins To Mary Hartman: The Illustrated History of Soap Operas, New York: Ballantine Books, 1977. **LaGuardia, Robert, Soap World, New York: Arbor House, 1983. **LaGuardia, Robert, The Wonderful World of TV Soap Opera, New York: Ballantine Books, 1974, revised 1977. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner, Joanne Search for Tomorrow characters Television characters introduced in 1951