JoAnn M. Rasch

July 15, 1941 - February 15, 2020

JoAnn Rasch, age 78, of Newell, Iowa died on Saturday, February 15, 2020 at the Paula J. Baber Hospice Home in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Newell. Burial will be in the Newell Cemetery. Visitation will take place on Tuesday, February 18, 2020 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in STORM LAKE. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be given to Paula J. Baber Hospice Home: 2630 9th Ave S, Fort Dodge, IA 50501 or to UnityPoint Hospice: 214 S 25th St, Fort Dodge, IA 50501. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. JoAnn Maxine Kowalski was born on July 15, 1941, in Sioux City, Iowa to Alves and Hertha Kowalski. JoAnn was baptized into the Lutheran faith in Sioux City. They were later divorced. JoAnn and her mother then moved in with her grandparents in Sioux City until she was 10. Hertha married Dick Griffel and they moved to a farm south of Albert City. She attended Albert City school. She was united in marriage to Charlie Rasch on December 14, 1957 at Jackson, Minnesota. They lived at Sulphur Springs, and then to Newell and have been at the same loving home since 1968. Four children were born: Debora Kay (Frog), Cherilyn Renee (Boop), Karla Kristine (Kog), and Corwin Charles (CC7). JoAnn worked at Globe Union Central Lab in Fort Dodge for 26 years, driving back and forth 100 miles every day. She also owned and operated the Flower Bin in Newell for many years. She then worked at J. Varenhorst Fabrics at Storm Lake, teaching many sewing and quilt classes. JoAnn painted many tole paintings, did all sorts of different crafts and loved to teach her girls all her talents, she loved making her girls special Christmas outfits. She belonged to “Stitch Bitchers”, Quilt Sew Ciety, delivered meals on wheels for many years, always had a huge garden, and canned everything. She loved sweet potatoes. She was an excellent cook and loved to bake, especially noted for her double batch of delicious cinnamon rolls. She always had dogs and loved everyone of them, especially Frankfurter and Oscar Meyer Weiner Dog. She loved going camping, traveling, going to Alaska two times, a Bahama’s cruise, going to Denmark to attend their foreign exchange student’s wedding, and countless trips to Oregon to visit family. Charlie and JoAnn were winter Texans for 19 years, where she also taught quilting classes to the women in her park. She also hosted Christmas tour of homes in her home. She helped clean chickens in the family business and was a member of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Newell for 62 years where she was also confirmed. Those left to cherish her memory include the love of her life for 62 years, Charlie Rasch of Newell, Iowa; four children: Deb (Kaj) Overgaard of Newell, Iowa; Cheri McLain of Dubuque, Iowa; Karla (Gary) Pickhinke of Storm Lake, Iowa; Corey (Amy) Rasch of Bancroft, Iowa; 13 grandchildren: Christian (Kelley) Overgaard, Nels (Courtney) Overgaard, Karina Overgaard, Marianna Overgaard, Tyler (Michelle) Krout, Leslie (Scott) Patten, Michelle (Shane) Schreck, Michael McKenna, Andy (Paige) Pickhinke, Kelsey Pickhinke; Karissa, Caleb, and Colin Rasch; 10 great-grandchildren: Anna, Axel, and Henrik Overgaard; Brayden and Bella Karpan; Lincoln Mattson; Gunnar Schreck; Brynlee Pickhinke; Thomas Krout; Hudson Patten; two step-brothers, Phillip and David Kowalski; numerous cousins, extended family, and friends. JoAnn was preceded in death by her mother, Hertha Griffel; father, Alves Kowalski; step-father, Dick Griffel; son-in-law, Tom Krout; parents-in-law, Edward and Agusta Rasch; aunts, uncles, and cousins. The family of JoAnn Rasch would like to thank all of the wonderful hospice staff and also the Paula Baber Hospice House in Fort Dodge.