Hammen, Joan Josephine

Joan Josephine Hammen, 78, of Harper, died suddenly Saturday, Jan. 9, 2010, at Road Haven Resort in Apache Junction, Ariz. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 16, at Holy Trinity Parish-St. Mary Catholic Church in Keota, with the Rev. Charles Fladung officiating. Burial will be at Holy Trinity Cemeteries-St. Elizabeth Cemetery in Harper. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Powell Funeral Home in Keota, where there will be a wake service at 5 p.m.

Joan was born Oct. 5, 1931, in Washington County, Iowa, to Anton and Anna (Spevacek) Eberle. On Feb. 14, 1955, she married Justin Hammen at St. James Catholic Church in Washington, Iowa. The couple farmed and lived in the Harper area where they raised their family. After retirement they spent their winters in Apache Junction, Ariz. Their favorite pastime was attending polkas and waltzes and following the Barefoot Becky Band. Joan was a member of Holy Trinity Parish-St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.

Survivors include her husband, Justin of Harper; five children, Mary Jo (Mike) Schmitt of Kinross, Dave (Patty) Hammen of Harper, Pam (Bruce) Pecenka of Galesburg, Ill., Joe (Cindy) Hammen of Wayland and John (Deana) Hammen of Washington; 16 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a brother, Frank (Elaine) Eberle of Santa Barbara, Calif.

She was preceded in death by her parents; four brothers, George, Russell, Norman and Jake; and two sisters, Katheryn Enfield and Virginia Farrington.

Memorials will go toward the memorial marker for St. Elizabeth Church in the St. Elizabeth Cemetery.

Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Keota is caring for Joan and her family.

Condolences may be sent online at under obituaries.