JoAnn Wand

JoAnn Elizabeth (McWeeny) Wand, 76, died May 1, 2018. On May 5 she had a front row seat for the Kentucky Derby Run for the Roses, and on Mother's Day and every day she will watch over her sons, her daughters-in-law, and her grandchildren. She'll be enthralled by fireworks any time she wants.

JoAnn was born in Carroll, IA, on July 3, 1941, the daughter of Leo and Maxine (Wolf) McWeeny. When she was eight the family moved from Carroll to a farm in Crawford County, IA. Her parents and life on the family farm instilled the principles that guided JoAnn's life: the value of hard work, the importance of education, and love of family and friends. She graduated from Charter Oak Community School in 1959 and from St. Vincent's Hospital School of Nursing in Sioux City as a Registered Nurse in 1962. JoAnn later completed Bachelor's and Master’s Degrees in Nursing.

JoAnn and Jay were married December 28, 1964, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Charter Oak, IA. During their 53 years of marriage JoAnn and Jay maintained life-long relationships with many friends. JoAnn planned her schedule around her active family: Dowling High School wrestling, football, basketball and cross country, Cyclone basketball and football, and Iowa Cubs baseball were among the innumerable sporting events the family attended. JoAnn was a regular at Prairie Meadows, and her enjoyment of horse racing took her and Jay to places such as Churchill Downs and the thoroughbred country around Lexington, KY. They enjoyed Music Under the Stars on Sunday evenings at Iowa's Capitol, the Iowa State Fair, and fireworks anytime, anywhere. JoAnn loved all children, roses, Norman Rockwell, Holsteins, and Elvis.

JoAnn is survived by her husband, Jay, of Des Moines and their two sons, Steven and his wife Heidi and daughter Dillan, and Scott and his wife Michelle and their children Lucy, Laurie Grace, and Will, all of Austin, TX. She is also survived by six siblings: Ed (Caryl) McWeeny of Gowrie, IA, Pat Braunger of Coralville, IA, Helen (John) Dowling of Flemington, NJ, Mary Lee (Kelly) Clarke of Elk Horn, NE, Oliva Smith of West Liberty, IA, Jim McWeeny (Sara Sommerlot) of West Des Moines, by her sister-in-law Pam (Joe) Wand Holewinski of Omaha, and by 13 nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Maxine McWeeny, formerly of Charter Oak, IA, her husband's parents, Tony and Helen (Delahoid) Wand, formerly of Breda, IA, her sister-in-law Leah Wand Taylor and by her brothers-in-law Jim Braunger, Bruce Smith, and George Taylor.

JoAnn was as a surgical nurse in hospitals in Sioux City, Ft. Dodge and Des Moines prior to working as a school nurse in the Des Moines Public Schools for 26 years. She especially enjoyed working with the hearing impaired children at Lucas Elementary. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorials to Iowa Hands & Voices, an organization supporting families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing, P.O. Box 1065, Johnston, IA 50131 (iowahandsandvoices.org).

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