Joanne Lapke

     Joanne Clara Lapke was born on January 3, 1934, on their family farm three miles west of Harlan, Iowa to Rudy and Clara (Hofer) Rosman. She was the youngest in her family of four brothers. Joanne attended a one-room country schoolhouse for grades first through sixth. She then attended Jr. High and High School at Harlan Public School where she graduated with the Class of 1951. Joanne was baptized and confirmed at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan. She was an active member of the Lincoln Bluebirds 4-H Club. Joanne continued her education at Commercial Extension Business College in Omaha, Nebraska. After graduation, she was employed at Phillips Petroleum Company as a private secretary to the Credit Manager for four years, taking dictation in shorthand and transcribing letters on a manual typewriter. Joanne met Bernard Lapke of Dunlap, Iowa at a Defiance dance in 1951. Shortly after they met, Bernard was drafted into the Army and was sent to Korea. Many letters were written. Joanne was Shelby County’s first Mardi Gras Queen in 1951. They were married on November 26, 1955, at St. Michael Catholic Church in Harlan. Archbishop Leo Binz, a first cousin of Joanne’s mother, officiated the wedding ceremony. The couple made their home on the Lapke family farm east of Dunlap raising their seven children, five daughters and two sons.

     In 1990, Joanne furnished an empty house on their property to be used as a guest house. She hosted pheasant hunters, serving them three meals a day. The Get-Away Guest House was also used for many guests for weddings, funerals, reunions, and extra family members. Joanne was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, served as a Eucharistic Minister, taught religious education classes, was a member of the Altar Society, and served six years on the Prairie Rose Mental Health Board in Harlan. Joanne loved to garden and work in her flower beds. She loved having family dinners, cooking, baking, canning, and freezing. She also loved making different flavors of homemade jam. Her table was rarely without warm bread and jam. Also very special to Joanne was having the grandchildren come for a fun vacation on the farm where they swam in the pond, played basketball and volleyball, went horseback riding, fishing, hiking, and just talking about the good old days. Joanne was an exceptional hostess and loved to entertain and feed company. She loved to share her cooking, baking, canning, and freezing skills as well as her home and garden with others. Her home blossomed with flowers and the kindness with which she treated everyone.

     Joanne died on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at Azria Health Rose Vista in Woodbine, Iowa at the age of 92 years, six months, and 12 days.

     Joanne was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers, Norman, Myron, Gene, and Richard; and son-in-law, Jerry Baldwin. She is survived by her husband, Bernard of Dunlap; children, Cindy and her husband Randy Pryor of Woodbine, Nancy and her husband Dean Coenen of Omaha, Denise Baldwin of Dunlap, Leo Lapke and his wife Dawn of Dunlap, Trish and her husband John Kuehl of Omaha, Tom Lapke and his wife Sally of LaMotte, Iowa, and Jill and her husband Kevin Davie of Omaha; many grandchildren and great grandchildren; and countless other relatives and friends.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, MEMORIALS MAY BE DIRECTED TO THE FAMILY FOR DESIGNATION TO CHARITIES OF THEIR CHOOSING IN HONOR OF JOANNE.