Joann Vraspir

Joann Vraspir, 76, of Omaha, Nebraska passed away on April 26, 2011 at Alegent Health Lakeside Hospital in Omaha. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, May 5, at 10:30 a.m. at John Huss Presbyterian in Thurston, Nebraska with Pastor Charity Potter officiating. A visitation will be held on Wednesday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Munderloh Funeral Home in Pender, Nebraska. Interment will be in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Emerson, Nebraska. Joann was born on March 16, 1935 in Emerson, Nebraska, the youngest daughter of eight children born to Jacob and Margaret (Harmer) Winegardner. She attended Kindergarten through 12th grade at Emerson Elementary and High School. She graduated as Salutatorian in May of 1952. She attended Wayne State College, earning her Teachers Certification and taught rural schools in Dakota and Dixon Counties from 1952 to 1957. In the fall of 1957 she entered the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Sioux City, Iowa, and graduated with High Honors as a Registered Nurse in September of 1960. Immediately following graduation she began to teach Nursing Students in Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases at the Methodist Hospital School of Nursing until 1965. She graduated from Morningside College in 1962 having earned a Bachelor of Science Degree. On December 18, 1960 she was united in marriage to Willard V. Vraspir of Thurston, Nebraska, who owned and operated a grocery store. They built a new home in Thurston in June of 1963. To this union were born three children: Tamri Jo, Todd Willard and Theresa Ann. From 1965 to 1976 Joann was employed as Staff Nurse then Director of Nursing at the Pender Community Hospital. From 1976 to 1978 she was Administrator of the former Valley View Nursing Home, now known as Pender Care Centre. In 1978 she joined the USPHS Hospital at Winnebago, Nebraska where she served as a Staff Nurse, Floor Supervisor and QA/PI Coordinator responsible to maintain Joint Commission of Hospital Accreditation. She was very proud of the fact that each of the 12 years she was QA/PI, the Hospital received and maintained that accreditation. After 20 years of employment at the IHS Hospital in Winnebago, she retired in 1998. She then moved to Omaha, Nebraska to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren. She retired from nursing for two years. She missed the Nursing Profession, so in 2000 she became employed in Omaha at Midwest Minor Medical Urgent Care Clinics until 2008. Having to retire in 2008 due to health reasons following chemo and radiation for breast cancer, and suffering from four compression fractures of the vertebra. He r deep love was for her family, grandchildren, and helping others to get well. She was a very dedicated individual and she loved nursing. Joann was a member of the John Huss Presbyterian Church on Thurston, NE, Thurston American Legion Auxiliary, Pender VFW Auxiliary and Eagles Auxiliary of Sioux City, Iowa. Joann is survived by three children: daughter, Tamri Jo Vraspir and grandson Alexander of Omaha, Nebraska; son, Todd Willard (Cindy) Vraspir and their children Morgan and MacKenzie of Brooksville, Florida; and daughter, Theresa Ann (Jeffery) Russell, and their children Chandler, Alexa and Logan of Anthem, Arizona. She is also survived by sisters: Kathleen Hansen of Sioux City, Iowa; Margaret Curry of Jacksonville, NC, Brother Charles (Connie) Winegardner of Spirit Lake, IA, Sisters- in Law, JoAnn McGuill of Sioux City, Iowa; Nadine Winegardner of Morgantown IN, brothers-in-law George Vraspir of Emerson NE and Donald Vraspir of Thurston, NE and sisters-in-law Leona Doupnik of Pender, NE, and Georgian Vraspir of Pender, NE Joann was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Williard in 1995, a brother and his wife, Bernard and Effie of Warren, PA, a sister, Alice and Harold Lewin of Thurston, NE; brothers Ernest of Sioux City, Iowa and Jake of Morgantown, IN, brother-in-law John Hansen of Sioux City, Iowa, and brother-in-law Vernon Curry of Jacksonville, NC. She was also preceded in death by brothers-in-law Edwin Vraspir, Robert Vraspir, Myron (Jeaneane) Vraspir, Sister-in-law Patty (Floyd) Ostrand and a sister-in-law Judy Vraspir, and a brother-in-law Richard (Rose) Vraspir.