Barr, Joan M.

Joan M. Barr, 85, died at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids on Feb. 24, 2013. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon.

Joan was born in Nashville, Tenn., on Dec. 27, 1927, to Willard Henry Mayo and Martha Ammons Mayo. Her family moved a lot, so she lived in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama as a child. Her first husband was in the Navy, and her second husband was in the Air Force, so she added Florida and South Carolina to the list. Finally, in 1954, she moved with her second husband to Iowa, where she remained for the rest of her life. She still moved frequently, living in Manchester, Emmetsburg, Monroe, Marshalltown, Decorah, and Waterloo. Joan was proud of the success she had selling life insurance in the Waterloo area and had great memories of the trip she won to Switzerland.

Finally, after becoming disabled as the result of a brain tumor, she moved to Mount Vernon with her daughter in 1986. She got well enough to move to a small apartment in Cedar Rapids, then had a stroke and spent several years at the Solon Care Center. In 2008 she was happy to be one of the first residents at Irving Point, an assisted living facility in Cedar Rapids, and she remained there until her death.

Joan is survived by her daughters, Susan Salter (Ro Foege), of Mount Vernon, Janet Hefter (Rick), of Gilbert, Ariz., and Kathy Miller (Andy), of Garner, N.C.; and a special and loyal friend, Dianne Lellig, of Waterloo. She also had a special relationship with her cousin and lifelong friend, Mattye Kemp, of Nashville, Tenn. Joan leaves six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Larry Mayo, of Nashville; and an infant son.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be directed to the Brain Injury Alliance of East Central Iowa, 1221 Park Place NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402.

Published Feb. 27, 2013 in The Gazette