Joan Marie Fick 1935 - 2023
FICK, CURTIS, JOHNSON
Posted By: Connie Swearingen - volunteer (email)
Date: 6/22/2023 at 14:23:09
Mapleton Press
22 June 2023Joan M. Fick, age 88, of Danbury, Iowa, passed away on Saturday, June 10, 2023, at the UnityPoint Health -St. Lukes Medical Center of Sioux City, Iowa.
A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Mapleton, Iowa. Rev. Nathan Peitsch will officiate. Committal Services will follow in the Liston Township Cemetery of Danbury, Iowa.
A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at the Armstrong-Van Houten Funeral Home of Mapleton, Iowa.
The Armstrong - Van Houten Funeral Home of Mapleton, Iowa, is in charge of the funeral arrangements.
Joan Marie Fick was born on March 27, 1935, to Seth and Martha (Curtis) Johnson of Hornick, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist faith in her early years and later reconfirmed in the Lutheran faith in 1958. Joan grew up in Hornick where she received her education graduating from Hornick High School with the class of 1953.
In 1955, Joan agreed to a blind date with a boy from Danbury, Iowa and to his surprise, she agreed to see him again. Joan and John found themselves married on May 27, 1956, a marriage lasting 67 years. In February of 1957 the couple welcomed a daughter Nancy Lee.
After receiving her teaching certificate from Wayne State College, Joan went on to attend and graduate from Morningside College with Bachelor’s Degree in Education. She started her teaching career as a 3rd grade teacher in Charter Oak, Iowa. After well over a decade of teaching, Joan transitioned her career to becoming John’s right hand (wo)man hauling grain wagons and learning to operate the combine. Together they farmed for 25 years until entering retirement.
As an active member for almost 45 years at St. Matthew Lutheran Church of Mapleton, Iowa. Joan participated in church ladies quilting and led the youth puppeteer ministry.
Joan could always be found behind the lens of a camera and loved a good candid shot. She spent numerous hours at her computer becoming a self-taught expert. There wasn’t much about her computer that she didn’t know. GIG, RAM, and memory quickly became a common part of her everyday conversations. As technology advanced throughout Joan’s life, so did her passion for graphic design. Family birthdays weren’t complete without her famous homemade cards filled with hours of personally created graphics and Hallmark quality writings.
Starting in 1979, Joan and John were blessed with three grandchildren who filled Joan’s days with immense happiness. Joan’s grandkids could always count on looking to the stands and seeing their grandparents sitting in their favorite top row spot during any indoor home event. It was also no secret to her grandkids or their friends that Joan kept her freezer stocked for anyone who walked through the door. A snack always meant a full course meal and leaving on an empty stomach wasn’t an option. While her grandkids and their friends loved being fed, it is not unknown that Joan loved it more. Providing for those she loved was what she did best.
For the last 13 years, Joan and John’s commitment to sports continued through to their great grandkids and they traded in their Maple Valley maroon and gold for Sergeant Bluff Luton orange and black. They watched countless hours of youth: baseball/softball, soccer, volleyball, football and basketball. Joan also enjoyed attending her great granddaughters dance recitals. Joan passed her passion for writing and graphic art to her great grandson, who together, wrote and printed two children’s books.
When not with her family or at her computer, Joan filled her time with tending to her flower garden or caring for her cats which often led to trips to the city for food and supplies. John knew that no trip to the city was complete without a “quick” stop by Joan’s favorite department stores. John was no stranger to the best sitting spots within Younkers, JC Pennys and Sears.
In more recent years, Joan and John’s daughter Nancy along with their son in law Brent were an integral part of keeping them on the family farm of 63 years, while continuing to give Joan the opportunity to care for her flowers and cats, which is exactly what Joan did until the day she left the farm for the last time. Joan passed peacefully knowing that John’s belly was full, her house would be clean and her cats taken care of. With the continued help and support from Nancy and Brent, Joan’s grandkids (spouses/significant others) and great grandkids, those are promises that the family intends to keep.
Joan is survived by her husband John Fick of Danbury, IA; daughter Nancy (Brent) Berry of Danbury, IA; grandchildren: Jamie (Audrey) Dean, Justin (Sarah Humpal) Dean, and Kelli (Justin) Blair all of Sergeant Bluff, IA; 10 great grandchildren: Aylah, Braylon, Carter, Monroe, Cadence, Jaxon, Grayson, Eli, Owen, and Preston all of Sergeant Bluff, IA; sister Patricia Villa of Los Angeles, CA; and sister in law Wilda Johnson of MO.
She was preceded in death by her parents Seth and Martha Johnson; sisters Clarice (William) Alexandra and Marjorie (Lyle) Copenhaver; brothers Russell Johnson, and Warren (Evonne) Johnson.
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