Joanne M. Harms, 73, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away Thursday, June 15, 2023, at her home in Le Mars.

Memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 7, 2023, at All Saints Catholic Parish – St. James Church in Le Mars.  Father Bruce Lawler will celebrate Mass.  Private family burial will be in Assumption Catholic Church in Merrill, Iowa.  Visitation with the family present will be from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 6, 2023, at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars.  There will be a Parish Rosary at 4:00 p.m. and a Scriptural Prayer Service at 7:00 p.m.  Visitation will resume from 10:00 a.m. until service time on Friday, July 7, 2023, at All Saints Catholic Parish – St. James Church.  Arrangements are with the Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Le Mars, Iowa.  Expressions of sympathy can be extended to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made in Joanne's name to Wet Nose Rescue and the Le Mars Backpack Program, in care of her family.

Joanne Marie Harms, the daughter of Maurice and Helen (Andersen) Harms, was born on January 7, 1950 in Le Mars, Iowa.  She attended school in Le Mars and graduated from Gehlen Catholic High School in 1968.

Following high school, she went to work as a meat cutter at I.B.P. in Dakota City, Nebraska.  While working there, she was a member of the United Food and Commercial Workers Internal Union – Local 222.  After working there, she went to work as a meat cutter at Harker's in Le Mars. She later worked as a clerk for a convenience store in Le Mars.

In 1983, she went back to school at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City, where she received her C.N.A. certificate.  She began working at the Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars.  Later, she went to work at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, where she became a phlebotomist.  She worked there for several years before joining Medical Associates and Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars.  She worked there until retiring in 2017.

Joanne, known by many as JoJo, Hazel, and Tex, enjoyed coaching softball in younger years.  She also taught many of her nieces how to drive! She received the Governor's Volunteer of the Year award in 1986.  She also enjoyed taking road trips with her family and having coffee with her friends.  In her later years, she enjoyed doing pencil drawings and coloring.

Survivors include her siblings: Beverlyn Baker (Don) Bouma of Le Mars, IA, Ken Harms of Le Mars, IA, Dave (Patty) Hill of Le Mars, IA, Edd (Kay) Harms of Wichita, KS, and Merle (Sue) Huls of Le Mars, IA; a sister-in-law, Pat Harms of Le Mars, IA; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her siblings: Jerry Andersen, Don (Marlys) Harms, Lois Hagert, Arnold Harms, Elaine (Bob) Grosenheider, Alfred Harms, and Arlis Harms; a brother-in-law, Max Baker; her godchild, Julie (Harms) Sitzmann;  and her faithful companions, "Wink" and "Boo Boo".