Joann Margaret Wittrock

JoAnn Margaret Wittrock, the daughter of Joseph Felix and Anna Grace (Billmeier) Meier, was born June 30, 1933, on the family farm south of Carroll, Iowa and died August 25, 2022, at St. Anthony’s Regional Hospital in Carroll at the age of 89 years, 1 month, and 24 days.

JoAnn was baptized on the same day she was born by Father Kerkhoff the Priest at the St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. JoAnn received her First Communion and was confirmed at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manning, Iowa. They lived in the Carroll-Templeton area and moved to a farm east of Manning in 1938. JoAnn attended rural school Ewoldt #6 from kindergarten through the 8th grade. After her education she helped on her parents’ farm and also did housework for people in the area.

In 1950 she met the love of her life, Harold Joseph Wittrock. On June 30, 1952, they were united in marriage at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Manning, Iowa. They were blessed with three children Darrell Frank, Denise Rose, and Darvin Joseph. They lived in the Halbur-Manning area where Harold work as a hired hand and JoAnn helped raise the children. In 1956 they moved to Audubon County and later in 1959 they moved south of Gray, where they farmed from 1959 until 1967 when they moved east of Gray where they lived and eventually purchased the farm in 1995. They also had purchased a farm in Sharon Township in 1980. JoAnn helped Harold operate the farm where they grew row crops and raised livestock. She always had a large vegetable garden and canned the produce and also enjoyed her flower gardens. In 2004 they purchased a home in Templeton, Iowa. JoAnn’s poor health started in October of 1998 and she later moved to the St. Anthony’s nursing home on June 26, 2020.

JoAnn was an active member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Audubon. She taught religious classes and was a Eucharist Minister for home-bound parishioners. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic women and St. Patrick’s Quilting Ladies. JoAnn sang in the church choir and was part of the St. Patrick’s finance counsel. She loved to cook and was famous for her decorated cut-out sugar cookies and cherry filled cinnamon rolls. She was an accomplished seamstress and sewed her children’s clothes. Above all, JoAnn loved being with her family especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Preceding her in death were her grandchildren Steven Wittrock and Scott Wittrock; her parents Joseph and Anna Maier, her sister Irma and husband Leonard Gehling; her parents-in-law Frank and Rose Wittrock; her brothers-in-law Raymond Wittrock an infant brother to Harold, Wilbur and wife Lucina Truhe, Clarence and wife Regina Reineke; Leo Mayer, Robert Wittrock, and sister-in-law Elvera and husband Andrew Daniels.

Survivors include her husband Harold Wittrock of Templeton, Iowa; her children Darrell and wife Nancy Wittrock of Audubon, Iowa; Denise and husband Marc Weitl of Templeton, Iowa and Darvin and wife Lana Wittrock of Audubon, Iowa; her grandchildren: Brian and wife Wendy Wittrock and Kevin and wife Robbi Wittrock all of Audubon, Iowa; Keith and wife Lacey Wittrock of Las Vegas, Nevada; Brad Weitl and wife Christina Deshaw of Clive, Iowa; Tricia and husband Brian Wolterman of Audubon, Iowa; Brett Weitl of Templeton, Iowa; Wendy and husband Blake Nelson of Hamlin, Iowa; Crystal Weitl and special friend Dan Kanne of Lidderdale, Iowa; Jeremy and wife Debra Wittrock of Audubon, Iowa; Ashley Jessip and special friend Korie McGinnis of Ackworth, Iowa and Tiffany Wittrock and special friend Jared Coder of Irwin, Iowa; 27 great-grandchildren with another on the way; her brothers Melvin and wife Arlene Meier of Manning, Iowa and Laverne “Butch” Meier of Manning, Iowa; her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Fred and Lucille Wittrock of Audubon, Iowa; Verna Mayer of Carroll, Iowa; Arlene Wittrock of Mt. Carmel, Iowa and Romen and Verena Wittrock of Carroll Iowa; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

The family will meet with friends on Sunday evening, August 28, 2022, from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. with a Rosary at 7:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon, Iowa. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father David Nkrumah on Monday morning, August 29, 2022, at 10:30 A.M. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Audubon. Interment will be in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery south of Audubon. The honorary casket bearers will be her grand-daughters: Tricia Wolterman, Wendy Nelson, Crystal Weitl, Ashley Jessip and Tiffany Wittrock. The casket bearers will be her grand-sons: Brian Wittrock, Kevin Wittrock, Keith Wittrock, Brad Weitl, Brett Weitl and Jeremy Wittrock.