Joanne Roth, 86, of Washington, Iowa, passed away Saturday, August 12, 2023, at her home surrounded by her family.
The visitation and memorial services will be held at Washington Mennonite Church. Visitation 4-7 PM on Friday, August 18, 2023. Memorial service 10:30 AM on Saturday, August 19, 2023. The service will be available via Livestream at the Beatty Peterseim YouTube page. Condolences may be mailed to: Roger Roth, 2800 Coppock Road, Wayland, Iowa 52353. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to Crooked Creek Christian Camp, Washington, Iowa or Hospice of Washington County. The Beatty-Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.
Joanne Roth was born in Newton, Kansas to Vernon and Lois (Kauffman) Roth on November 30, 1936, the oldest of eight children. In 1942, her family moved to southeastern Iowa to escape the dustbowl. Her father farmed south of Washington (now the site of Crooked Creek Christian Camp). She attended Gray School, a single room schoolhouse, later graduating from Hesston Academy and College in Kansas. Joanne took her Christian faith seriously, baptized as a young teen, and maturing in her faith while attending Hesston Academy. Joanne married Roger Roth in 1960 and worked as a legal secretary at a Washington law firm until she had children, later returning to work during tax season when her children were in high school. She loved singing and made it her mission to give her children the opportunity to study music. In her sixties, she returned to piano lessons with her teacher from childhood and was determined to overcome her lifelong fear of water by taking swimming lessons. Her travels with Roger took them to South Africa to visit their beloved exchange student, Cheryl (Joseph) Smith. They spent their winters in Sarasota, Florida connecting with Roger’s brothers and their wives and making new friends in their mobile home community and the Sarasota Community Church. After retirement from the farm east of Wayland, Joanne helped design a new home on a bluff overlooking timbered creek bottom that was part of her family’s farm.
Her faith sustained her through the tragic untimely deaths of four of her siblings: Brenda (3 years-old, meningitis), Phil (21 years-old, car accident), and Jim and Stan Roth (54 and 50 years-old, plane crash).
She had a good sense of humor, was an excellent cinnamon-roll maker, and loved creating a home. Even in her last year of life, when cognitive impairment challenged her identity as a competent homemaker, she made new friends and connections.
Joanne was Roger’s beloved wife for 63 years; loving mother to her children Kendra Landes of Iowa City, Erin Roth of Baltimore, Maryland, and Tyler Roth of Goshen, Indiana; mother-in-law to Jeff Landes, Chris Giannella, and Sarah Roth; grandmother to Katelin (Landes) Hamlin, Kelsey (Landes) Mason, Emma (Roth) Headings, Grace Roth, Matthew Roth, Tillman Giannella and Matteo Giannella, and great-grandmother to five. Joanne was an older sister to Becky Roth and Lowell Roth of Hesston, Kansas and Marci (Roth) Huxman of Moundridge, Kansas. Sister-in-law to Stan Wiens (Becky), Donna Roth Hillis (Jim), Cindi Roth (Lowell), Jan Roth (Stan), Gary Huxman (Marci). Joanne was an aunt to over twenty nieces and nephews. She was also a loyal friend and dedicated member of Washington Mennonite Church, her faith community.