West Liberty, Iowa Joan Clara Thurness, 87, passed away peacefully Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at Simpson Memorial Home. Private family graveside service will be held Saturday, April 4, 2020 at Oak Ridge Cemetery, West Liberty. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in West Liberty, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, please honor Joan with donations to West Liberty Fire Department – “Ambulance” on memo line, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, or Iowa City Area Hospice. Joan was born December 18, 1932 in Wilton, Iowa the, daughter of Clark and Edna (Stoelk) Stratton. She was a graduate of West Liberty High School in 1951. On January 11, 1953 she was united in marriage to Stanton Thurness at Zion Lutheran Church in Atalissa, Iowa. Joan was a farm wife until 1976 when they moved off the farm to town. She had been employed with the former Sterk-Grouwinkle Insurance Agency in West Liberty for several years, but spent most of her career as a loyal employee at the West Liberty State Bank with her last years starting in 1978, and then retiring in 1995. . She was a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in West Liberty where she was very active in women’s circles, bible study and music; the farming community as a member of the North Prairie Social Club, and the West Liberty Country Club. Joan enjoyed raising her family and being with her maternal and paternal families, cooking, sewing, listening to music, playing golf, bridge with her many friends, and most of all the Saturday morning social coffee gatherings with other farm wives and children. She is survived by three children: Karen Thurness, Steven (Brenda) Thurness and Andy (Daleta) Thurness all of West Liberty, 4 grandchildren: Luke (Misha) Thurness of West Liberty, Codi (Zach) Stone of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Jordan and Breana Thurness both of West Liberty, 5 great grandchildren: Logan, Kylie, Mason, Aliya and Dawsyn. Sister: Wanita (Bob) Lehman of West Liberty and Brother Lester (Lynda) Stratton of North Liberty. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Stanton in 2003, infant daughter Julie and Sister Eileen Waller and Brother Lyndon.