Joan S. Brown
Joan Sidney Van Ginkel Brown of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa passed away on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Joan was a resident of the Southeast Iowa Behavioral Healthcare Center in Keokuk, IA.
Joan was born on March 19, 1951 to Joseph Garrett Van Ginkel, Jr. and Ellen Peterson Van Ginkel in Des Moines, Iowa. Joan grew up on 42nd Street in Des Moines and attended Roosevelt High School. Joan graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1969, and she attended Iowa State University. Joan met her future husband (Marvin Brown) in Chemistry class at Iowa State University. They were married on February 22, 1975 at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Des Moines, Iowa. Joan graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology.
Joan liked to sew and had her own sewing and alterations business. Joan also worked in many temporary jobs as her family grew and they moved around Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Washington, D.C. Joan became a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked as an in-home health aid while they lived in Washington, D. C. When her husband retired they moved to Marvin’s childhood home on the farm in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Joan enjoyed her time living on the farm, gardening and raising fainting goats.
Joan was a member of the P.E.O. sisterhood from the time she was 21. She had been a member in Chapters wherever she lived throughout her life. It was a source of friendships and enjoyment wherever she went and Joan felt that P.E.O. helped her to become part of the community wherever she was.
Joan was a member at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and she enjoyed working with other ladies in the kitchen during Old Threshers. Joan enjoyed singing in the church choir.
Music was a source of enjoyment for Joan and she was an accomplished violinist. She played her violin with community orchestras in Des Moines, Iowa; Effingham, Illinois; Springfield, Illinois; and Lincoln, Nebraska. Joan also enjoyed giving violin lessons and providing musical entertainment at health care centers in her local communities.
Joan is survived by her husband (Marvin Brown) of Mt. Pleasant, and by her three children and their spouses – Carolyn (Jack) Thomas of Champaign, Illinois; James (Sarah) Brown of Fenton, Missouri; and Andrew (Melanie) Brown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Joan is also survived by four grandchildren and one great grandchild.
A Celebration of Life for Joan will be held on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025 from 1-4 PM at the Mt. Pleasant Masonic Temple, 206 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant. A private family interment service will occur at St. Alphonsus Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant.
Memorials may be directed to the family for decisions to be made later.
Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com