Joanne Sneller, 90, of Le Mars, Iowa passed away on Monday, November 6, 2017 at the Brentwood Good Samaritan Village in Le Mars. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, November 10, 2017 at Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Le Mars. Rev. Dr. Nevada DeLapp will officiate. Burial will follow at Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation will be from 2-7 p.m., Thursday November 9, 2017 at the Mauer – Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars with the family present from 5-7 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m. There will also be one hour of visitation before the service on Friday at the church.
Joanne Van Batavia was born on March 15, 1927 in Luverne, Minnesota, the daughter of Benjamin and Lillian (Rikkers) Van Batavia. She was raised in the Beaver Creek, Minnesota area where she was a tomboy and farm girl. Joanne graduated from Beaver Creek High School in 1944. Her first job was at Farmers Bank in Cheyenne, WY and then First National Bank in Luverne, MN. She married Dwayne Richard Sneller in Manchester, IA on February 11, 1950.
Dwayne and Joanne moved their family to Williams, IA for 7 years before coming back to Le Mars where she worked at Floyd Valley Hospital for many years. She was a charter member of the Calvin Christian Reformed Church in Le Mars where she taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Catechism. Joanne also taught Sunday School, Catechism and Vacation Bible School at her church in Iowa Falls, IA while living in Williams, IA. She was also active in Ladies’ Aid and Bible Study. In her spare-time, Joanne enjoyed painting, puzzles and bird watching. She played piano and guitar. Joanne kept in touch with her relatives by studying her genealogy.
She will be lovingly remembered by her three sons, David and his wife Gerrie of Valley Springs, SD, Steven and his wife Jan of Le Mars, IA and Earl and his wife Janice of International Falls, MN; grandchildren, Leah Sargent, Aaron (Nikki) Sneller, Jason (Mindy) Sneller, Jesse (Heather) Sneller, Nicole (Justin) Rolling, Kent (Megan) Sneller, Heath (Sarah) Sneller, Sarah (Lucas) Glass, Julie (Jim) Bissonnette, Krista (Dustin) Bennett, and Shawna (Danny) Fitzpatrick; and 24 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Dwayne on December 17, 1985; an infant son; an infant brother, Henry "Bud"; and a brother, Benjamin Van Batavia.
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