Memorial
Joanne Marie Gooch, 91, passed away on April 19, 2022. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 23, 11am at New Covenant Bible Church, Cedar Rapids. Pastor Bob Westfall will officiate. A luncheon will be held immediately after the service at 150 N. Troy Rd., Robins, IA
Joanne will be deeply missed by her husband of 41 years, Guy Gooch. She also leaves behind to cherish her memory, children Carla Taylor of Cedar Rapids; Scott Chadima of Cedar Rapids; Coleen (Lou) Maglio of Westlake, OH; Caroline Chadima of Denver, CO and Candace (R. Scot) Warder of Robins. Grandchildren, Joe Taylor of Cedar Rapids; Peter Taylor (fiancé Kelsey Worcester) of Marion; Sarah (Preston) Smith of Wheeling, WV; Zachary (Erin) Magilo, Christian and Joe Maglio of Westlake, OH; Michael (Kelly) Nodurft and Daxton (Ashleigh) Nodurft of Parker, CO; Nathen (Chalon) Warder of Grandview, MO; Joshua Warder and Kathryn Warder of Marion; Elijah Warder of Lenexa, KS; eight great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson. She is also survived by Guy’s children and grandchildren. Kent Gooch of Otaka, OK and Pam (Kevin) Selk of Cedar Rapids; grandchildren Andrew (Maria) Holtz and Aaron Selk of Cedar Rapids; Victoria (Joey) Kelley of Antlers, OK; Craig Gooch of CO; four great-grandchildren. One brother, David (Natalie) Mieras of IL, also survives.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother John Mieras, sister Susan Rafos, son-in-law Dan Taylor and great-grand daughter Evelyn Smith.
Joanne was born October 6, 1930 in Becker, MN to Simon Oliver and Glynn Thompson Mieras. Her youth was spent at the rustic family cabin on East Battle Lake, working in her father’s garden and learning to cook at her mother’s apron strings. She went to school in Dodge Center, MN where her father was principal and then superintendent. She attended nursing school in Rochester, MN.
Her life revolved around her family, whom she loved with fierce devotion. She found great joy in preparing and hosting meals for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. She adored her grandkids, who lovingly called her Nana. She created magical childhood memories for them, including the multi-acre Easter egg hunt on the Alburnett property and hand-cranked ice cream on the deck, using her father’s perfected, age-old recipe.
Joanne was generous with her time and her heart. She conducted herself with grace, poise and style. She had a wonderful sense of humor, accompanied by her beautiful smile and laughter. For many years on Christmas and birthdays, the family gifted her with a pig-themed present, in spite of her strong distaste for pigs. This disgust for hogs began when she and Guy moved to north Alburnett, right next to a pig farm. Joanne complained about the smell so often that the family began giving her pig-shaped watering cans, cookie jars, ornaments, and stuffed animals, to name a few. Not only did she laugh every time, she even displayed them prominently in her home.
Her other hobbies, in addition to cooking and spoiling grandchildren, included gardening and canning jars and jars and jars of tomatoes. For many years she was a member of the Junior League, where she enjoyed sharing her theatrical talents through puppeteering and acting in plays for Playtime Poppy. In their retirement years, Joanne and Guy enjoyed traveling to the beach together. Above all else, she had an abiding love for her Savior Jesus Christ.