Weighner, Joan Feller

Joan Feller Weighner, 81, of Waukon, died Monday, Sept. 3, 2012, at home in Waukon. Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon. Burial will be in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 4to 8 p.m. Friday at Martin Funeral Home in Waukon where there will be a 4 p.m. Scripture service and a 5 p.m. American Legion Auxiliary memorial service.

Joan Catherine Feller Weighner was born Dec. 5, 1930, in Chicago, to Edward F. and Gwendolyn Catherine (Cay) Kennedy. The family moved to Sibley, Iowa, in 1935 and Edward began his law practice there. Joan attended the Sibley Public Schools and graduated from Sibley High School in 1948. She attended Briar Cliff College and St. Joseph's Mercy College of Nursing, graduating in 1951, and after passing her state boards became a registered nurse. On Feb. 16, 1952, she married Henry Feller at St. Andrews Catholic Church in Sibley. Henry and Joan lived in Sioux City, and Norfolk, Neb. before moving to Waukon, in 1960. They had six children. Henry died June 30, 1982, from complications of heart disease. Joan married Phil Weighner on Jan. 25, 1991, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Waukon.

Joan worked occasionally as a staff nurse at Veterans Memorial Hospital and the Good Samaritan Center, both in Waukon. She taught nurse-aide courses in Waukon for many years. In 1970, Joan organized, developed and directed the Allamakee County Homemaker Health Aide Agency, now known as the Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care. After retiring from the nursing profession, Joan taught piano lessons in her home for several years.

Joan was a member of the Makee Manor Board, Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Advisory Board, American Legion Auxiliary and chairman of the Resident Advocate Committee of Good Samaritan Center. She belonged to St. Patrick Catholic Church where she was a member of the adult choir for many years. Joan enjoyed reading, dancing, golf, playing cards, playing the piano, cooking and baking. She especially enjoyed visiting with a wide variety of people. Joan and Phil enjoyed several winters in Texas and thoroughly enjoyed a trip together to Ireland. Joan loved her family dearly and thought the world of her husbands, parents, brothers and sisters, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as well as her stepchildren and their families. She believed very strongly in the precious gift of life as did both of her husbands, and belonged to Iowans For Life and the Allamakee Chapter when it was active.

Joan was preceded in death by her husbands, Henry Feller and Phil Weighner; her parents, Gwen and Ed Kennedy; a brother, Tom Kennedy; and a stepgranddaughter, Katie Weighner.

Survivors include three sons, Joe (Jane) Feller of Sibley, Bill (Peggy) Feller of Charles City, and Tom (Sarah) Feller of Robins; three daughters, Sue (Gene) Roy of Lafayette, La., Patty (George) Anderson of Alburnett, and Peggy (Terry) Wertz of Williamsburg; 27 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Peggy (Jerry) Price and Kate Billings; four brothers, Frank (Jean) Kennedy, Patrick Kennedy, Joseph (Monika) Kennedy and Richard (Norine) Kennedy; a sister-in-law, Kay Kennedy; her stepchildren, Mary Mike (Bob) Schell, Dr. Phil (Cathy) Weighner, Laurie (Dave) Martin, Tom (Angie) Weighner, Paul Weighner, Brigid (Ron) Cota, Fr. James Weighner, Father Robert Weighner, Barb (Rod) Smed, Mark (Laurel) Weighner, Steve (Brooke) Weighner, Mollie (Monte) Marti, and Cathy (Scot) DeValk; 33 stepgrandchildren; and one stepgreat-grandchild.

Online condolences may be left at .

Published in The Gazette Sept. 5, 2012.