Joan Nowak
WELCOME — A funeral mass for Joan Nowak, 85, of Welcome, Minn., will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Fairmont. A private family burial will be held at a later date in Holy Family Catholic Cemetery in East Chain, MN. Visitation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15, at the Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont and will continue one hour prior to the time of service at the church. Joan passed away Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, at Temperance Lake Ridge in Sherburn, Minn. Lakeview Funeral Home is assisting the family with the arrangements.
Joan Beulah (Koehn) Nowak was born Nov. 17, 1939, in Avoca, Minn., the daughter of Harold and Elaine (Schaefer) Koehn. She attended school in Slayton, Minn., and graduated from Slayton High School with the class of 1957. Joan went on to further her education, attending beauty school in Fairmont, Minn.
On Feb. 13, 1960, Joan was united in marriage to Harold Nowak in Avoca, Minn. The couple made their home in and around Fairmont, Minn., until 1990, when they moved to their lake home on Fox Lake. They were blessed with three children: Linda, Todd, and Jon.
Joan worked at the Fairmont Community Hospital and JCPenney for many years, but truly treasured her most important job of caring for her family and raising her children. Joan took great pride in the upkeep of her home and yard, keeping the inside of her home spotless and the outside beautiful by tending to her flowers.
In her spare time, Joan enjoyed reading and tending to her flower garden, and basking lakeside in the warmth of the sun. She and Harold shared a love of crafting, often working side by side on woodworking projects throughout the years. Joan also cherished time with her girlfriends, whether shopping together or catching up over coffee. Holidays and special occasions were particularly meaningful to her, and she took great pleasure in making each one memorable for her loved ones. Above all, Joan’s greatest joy was her family, with a special place in her heart for her grandchildren.
Left to cherish her memory is her husband, Harold Nowak of Welcome, Minn.; children, Linda (Michael) Barutt of Graceville, Minn., and Jon Nowak (Karen) of Pemberton, Minn.; grandchildren, Chad (Clair) Barutt, Alex Barutt (Mikayla), Hunter Nowak, Emma Nowak, Nikki Lewis, Mitchel (Dana) Nowak, Emily (Cody) Cook, and Meg (Tov) Topete; great-grandchildren, Chet Barutt, Cooper Barutt, Layla Lawton, Madison Lewis, Wyatt Lewis, Levi Lewis, Sawyer Cook, Kory Cook, Kashton Cook, and Everly Topete; siblings, Gerald (Elaine) Koehn and Mark (Virginia) Koehn; in-laws, Earl (Judy) Nowak, Maureen Vogel, Lefty Erickson, and Cheryl Koehn; as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.
Joan was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Elaine Koehn; son, Todd Nowak; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Ignatius and Anna Nowak; siblings, Donna Bertrand, Shirley Erickson, Ronald Koehn, Roger Koehn, Craig Koehn, David Koehn, and baby brother, Scott Koehn; a brother-in-law, Richard Nowak; and other family and close friends.
www.lakeviewfuneralhome.net
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