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JoAnn Nurnberg, 80, of Creston, died Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. A Celebration of Life Service will be 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 11 at Powers Funeral Home, 601 New York Avenue in Creston. Pastor Cynthia Ripperger will officiate. The service will be live streamed. Open visitation will be from 2-7 p.m., with family receiving friends from 5-7 p.m. Monday, April 10 at Powers Funeral Home in Creston.
Memorials may be directed to the family to be determined later. Online condolences can be made at www.powersfh.com.
JoAnn Irene (Stringham) Nurnberg was born Dec. 23, 1942, to Frelo and Irene (Meeks) Stringham near Prescott in Adams County. She was raised from an early age in Mount Ayr and attended the Mount Ayr school system, graduating in 1961. She went on to attend Creston Community College (now SWCC).
She married Roger Nurnberg on Aug. 5, 1962, in Mount Ayr, they celebrated 60 great years together in August 2022 at the International Pyrotechnic Guild Convention with over 1,600 people in attendance, including many members of her immediate family. Roger and JoAnn were blessed with three daughters: Kathryn (Isaias) Arevalo of Lenox, Leah (Chad) Nordman of Cedar Falls and Stephani (Christopher) Harms of Kansas City, Missouri.
JoAnn’s career included many years as a teller at Iowa State Savings Bank in Creston, where she managed the ISSB Branch Bank on Highway 25. Prior to ISSB she worked as an office manager for their service business, Nurnberg Pools, Plumbing and Heating; office manager for optometrist Dr. Jack Robinson; as a legal secretary and a long-distance telephone operator. JoAnn was one of the firefighters’ wives who originated the Creston FireFlies support group. She is a past member of the Eastern Star and a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Creston where she served several years as a deacon and elder.
She was an active member of Bancroft literary circle. She enjoyed crocheting special patterns of afghans for family members, even the boys in the family, for graduations, new births and special occasions. JoAnn had a flair for decorating and made her surroundings festive wherever she was - at home, at work (especially the teller window at ISSB bank!), at organizational holiday parties and especially for family gatherings. She always created the magic in the special themes that she and Roger dreamed every year to make family holidays and gift-giving unique and so much fun.
Her family was her greatest accomplishment. She was a gift to the generations of friends and family surrounding her.
She is survived by one sister, Janice Still of Mount Ayr; grandchildren: Nicholas (Christina) Custer of Leno, Steffan (Katie) Custer of Arvada, Colorado; Aurora JoAnn Arevalo of Ames; Jacob (Tiana) Nordman of Tripoli, Sam Nordman of Cedar Falls, Dustin Harms and Heather Harms of Kansas City and Nathan Harms of Peculiar, Missouri; three great-grandsons, many distant relatives and a host of other family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Frelo and Irene Stringham; father- and mother-in-law, Mansel and Harriet Nurnberg; brothers-in-law: DC Simpson and Eldon “Ellie” Still and one sister, Kay Young.