Joan I. Blohm, age 87, of Carroll passed away on Tuesday, February 4, 2020 at St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll surrounded by her family.
A celebration of Joan’s life will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at the First United Methodist Church in Carroll with Rev. Terry Plocher officiating. Organist for the service will be Nancy Davis. Inurnment will be in the Carroll City Cemetery followed by a reception at the Carrollton Center.
A visitation will be held at the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll from 5 – 7 P.M. on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for the family at www.dahnandwoodhouse.com
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Joan’s name to be applied to local healthcare charities. Memorials may be left at the funeral home or the church and may be made out to: The Joan Blohm Memorial Fund. Memorials may also be mailed to: Dahn and Woodhouse Funeral Home c/o Joan Blohm Memorial Fund, 705 N. Carroll St., Carroll, Iowa 51401.
Born on August 10, 1932 in Dexter, IA, she was the daughter of Elmer and Ida (Pease) Blomquist, and grew up on her family’s farm in Adair County near Dexter. She attended country school for nine years and graduated from Stuart High School in 1950. After high school, Joan attended the Iowa Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls. In the summer of 1950, she met Bill Blohm while at the skating rink in Stuart. Following a year of courtship, they were married on September 16, 1951 at the United Methodist Church in Stuart. Joan then stayed at home with her parents while Bill served in the United States Air Force until she joined him in 1953 in Wilmington, Delaware. While living in Delaware, Joan worked for the government. Following Bill’s discharge from the military they moved to Ames where Bill was a Veterinary student while Joan did secretarial work. Following his graduation in 1959 they moved to Carroll and worked together in Bill’s veterinary practice, which later merged with the Carroll Veterinary Clinic.
Joan was a woman of diverse talents and intense determination. She was an avid golfer and six-time women’s tournament champion at the Carroll Country Club. She enjoyed framing and matting pictures, playing bridge, woodworking, going to dances, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. She established a dog-grooming business with great success and an uncanny ability to calm any dog, earning the affectionate moniker of “Dog Whisperer” from her family and clients.
Joan is survived by her husband of 68 years, Dr. William Blohm, of Carroll; three daughters: Deb Lowry (Mark) Castro Valley, CA, Diane Brower (Doug) of Carroll, and Beth McClelland (Mike) of Ada, MI; five grandchildren: Austin Brower (Brittany) of Waukee, IA, Adam Brower of Des Moines, IA, Jacob McClelland of Milwaukee, WI, Ryan McClelland of Ada, MI, and Hallie McClelland of Ada, MI; a sister Lucy Grove of Karnack, TX; two sisters-in-law: Peggy Wells of Dexter, IA, and Thelma Vazquez of Manhattan Beach, CA; and several nieces and nephews.
Joan was preceded in death by her parents Elmer and Ida Blomquist; her mother and father-in-law William D. and Georgia Blohm; her brother Wayne Blomquist; her sister-in-law Joan Blomquist; and her brother-in-law Dan Grove.