Mouw, Joan (Mrs. William "Bill") 1930-2021

MOUW, VREEMAN

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:36

Joan Mouw age 91, of Sioux Center, IA died Tuesday, January 26, 2021, at Royale Meadows Care Center in Sioux Center, IA.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30PM on Sunday, January 31, 2021 at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center with Rev. Jerry Vreeman officiating. A visitation will be held from 1:00PM until the time of service.

Masks and social distancing will be followed.

The Mouw family prefer memorials be directed to L.I.O.N. Outreach International (Leadership In Obscurity Network) P.O. Box 26533, Colorado Springs, CO 80936

Joan Eleanor Vreeman was born to Hein and Johanna Vreeman on January 10, 1930 near Hull, Iowa.

Joan had one brother, Gary, who with his wife Nickie had ten children who Joan enjoyed in her role as their aunt. Joan attended a country school in the Hull area, then attended Western Christian High School in Hull, graduating in 1947. She studied one year at Northwestern College in Orange City, then attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Education in 1951.

On June 6, 1952, she married William Mouw in Sioux Center, Iowa. They shared 62 years in marriage until Bill passed on in 2015. Bill and Joan enjoyed entertaining and cooking together, providing generous hospitality to many. Bill served as the Sioux Center Mayor for 14 years. As Mayor's wife, their home was open for entertaining city guests and visitors, such as the Dutch Ambassador and his wife. Bill and Joan also enjoyed the Lakes Area and spent many summers there together. Even after Bill was gone, Joan continued frequent trips to her favorite restaurant at the Lakes as long as she was able.

Joan has said "The purpose of life is a life of PURPOSE." She exhibited a deep love and purpose for children through her gift of teaching. Joan was an educator for 39 years. Her first position in 1951, was as an English teacher at Western Christian High School, followed by a year in a rural K-6 school near Sioux Center. Then she began teaching in Sioux Center, with two years in the Junior High School, and the rest of her career she was in the K-6 grades teaching in Special Education classes and later helped develop the resource room for students with learning disabilities.

In 1971, she attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and earned her master’s degree in Supervision of Special Education. From 1975-1985 she taught summer and evening classes in learning disorders at Dordt College in Sioux Center and at Northwestern College in Orange City. In 1975, Joan was awarded a certificate of recognition for "Meritorious Service to Exceptional Children" for outstanding service in the field of special education. She was recognized as an outstanding teacher in 1985-86 by receiving the Iowa State Teacher of the Year Honors. She received this honor again in 1991, by the State of Iowa Board of Education. She retired from teaching in May 1991.

Joan devoted her life to many purposes in addition to her long teaching career. She was a member of Central Reformed Church where she was active and volunteered in many ways through the years. She was active in the local American Legion Auxiliary Chapter and was a member and an officer in a variety of professional groups. In June 1980, she was selected as Outstanding Individual of the Year 1980 by the Sioux County Association of Retarded Citizens, and state-wide recognition by Iowa ARC, as the guiding force for the establishment of the Sioux County ARC organization to help the parents of mentally disabled children as well as the disabled themselves.

Joan received the Individual Volunteer Award from the City of Sioux Center in 1994. Joan was one of the founders of the local Pals program, and she served on the Pals board for many years. She received a number of other volunteer awards over the years. Upon presenting one of her awards, a speaker was noted to declare, "Her efforts have been devoted to the total welfare of the student - educationally, vocationally, and spiritually…Her life has been an example of kindness to her fellow man."

She has lived with purpose and will be fondly remembered by the many she taught.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bill, and brother and sister-in-law Dr. Gary and Nickie Vreeman, and brother-in-law and sister-in-law Bub and Midge Muilenberg; niece, Jane Vreeman and nephew, Joel Vreeman.

She is survived by brother-in-law and sister-in-law Marion & Darlene Mouw; nieces and nephews: Willie (Vreeman) and Dave Ahrenholz of Bellingham, WA, Dr. Betty Vreeman of Grand Rapids, MI, Rev. Jerry and Coranne (Peters) Vreeman of Colorado Springs, CO, Tom and Jacqueline (Peters) Vreeman of Grand Rapids, MI, Mary (Vreeman) and Alan Huizenga of Bartlett, IL, Steve and Jean (Stavers) Vreeman of Anchorage, AK, Fred and Janet (Clemens) Vreeman of Fairbanks, AK, Billie Jo (Duff) Vreeman of Hayden, CO, Joan (Vreeman) and Jim Rhodes of Grand Rapids, MI; Dave and Ellen Mouw of Sioux Center, Steve and Heather Mouw of Sioux Center, Tamara (Muilenberg) Sass of Arlington, VA, and Kristen (Muilenberg) Graves of Ankeny, IA.

Source: Memorial Funeral Home online obituary.