JoAnn L. (Janssen) DeGeus

JoAnn Louise (Janssen) DeGeus, 77, of Britt was set free Sunday, September 4, 2016 at Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit in Mason City.

Memorial services for JoAnn DeGeus will be held at 4:00 PM on Sunday, September 11, 2016 at Ewing Funeral Chapel, 178 Center Street West in Britt, with Pastor William Rosin officiating.

Visitation will be held from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM prior to services at the funeral home on Sunday.

JoAnn Louise Janssen was born February 1, 1939 to Carl and Louise (Zimmerman) Janssen in Bassett, Iowa. She and her family moved to Nashua when she was a high school freshman, and she worked at White’s Dairy Bar in Nashua during her high school years. She graduated from Nashua High School.

On May 26, 1957, she was united in marriage to Edward DeGeus. The couple made their home on a farm northeast of Nashua. Following a fire on the farm, they moved to Charles City where JoAnn worked at Club Iowa. Following that, the couple moved to Mason City, where she waited tables at the Moose Club, and they later relocated to a farm near Britt. She worked as an assistant manager at Casey’s General Store, as well as working at the redemption center, retiring to help Ed with the construction business. JoAnn and Ed spent winters in Arizona together since 1985.

JoAnn enjoyed gardening, reading romance and western novels, working jigsaw puzzles, and collecting dolls, wind chimes, and geese décor. She also enjoyed gathering and shucking walnuts in Iowa, and pecans while in Arizona. She will be remembered for how far she could stretch a dollar.

JoAnn is survived by her husband Ed of 59 years; her children Ronda (Jerry) Francis of Garner, Jeff (Becky) DeGeus of Britt, Brenda (Bryan) Stone of Charles City, and Brian (Lisa) DeGeus of Orlando, Florida; 15 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren; brother Gordy Janssen of Texas and sister Doris (Lowell) Hicok of Mason City.

She is preceded in death by her parents, her son Terry, grandson Weston, step-granddaughter Allison, great-granddaughter Shayle, and siblings Elmer, Roger, Pearl, and Geraldine.