Joan Joyce Schwarck

Joan Joyce Schwarck, 89, of Marshalltown, passed away July 7, 2023, at her home surrounded by her loving family in the care of Iowa River Hospice, Marshalltown.  

A family-led Celebration of Life is pending to accommodate the family out of state. Memorials will be directed between Iowa River Hospice in Marshalltown for the wonderful care and support for Joan and the Rays of Hope at New Hope Christian Church in Marshalltown for all the love and support with trips to appointments, cards and visits when family worked or lived too far. Mitchell Family Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. 

Joan Joyce Newell was born Aug. 27, 1933, to Maynard and Fern (Thackrey) Newell in Hampton. She was the third daughter of three girls. She graduated from High School with the class in 1951 from Story City Community School. She was united in marriage to the love of her life, Carl David Schwarck of Whitten June 25, 1952, in Oakdale. When Carl was honorably discharged from service they lived in Waterloo for a few years and then moved to Eldora for a couple of years before calling Marshalltown, their home until death. Joan was a housewife for years before getting her cosmetology degree to have a beauty shop in their home at 1506 W. Main Street in Marshalltown. They lived there until they had their six children raised and then moved to 709 Arlington Drive in 1987. They then retired at the Village Cooperative of Marshalltown in 2010. After Joan retired from her Beauty Shop, she worked part-time at McDonald’s Restaurant until she was 76. Joan was married to her husband Carl for 64 years until he passed away in 2016.

Joan and her husband were members of Hillside Church of Christ and then charter members of New Hope Christian Church. During this time, they had many gatherings in their home from Church friends, youth groups and their families.  Joan was a Sunday School Teacher, helped with Children’s Church, activities in the Women’s group, prepared communion and was faithful in her attendance until she became too weak to go.  She enjoyed gardening with her husband, birdwatching, bus tour trips, going to antique shops, weekend site seeing road trips, traveling to see kids and grandchildren in Georgia, Texas, Kansas and in Grinnell, Conrad and Bellevue, Nebraska. She liked to sew and make quilts, read and do word searches.  

She was a busy mother with their six children; they had a son and daughter before having two sets of twins (boy and girl and then two girls).  

Left to cherish her memory are her children: Jeffrey (Lynn) Schwarck, El Jean (Steve) Bryant, Joel Schwarck, Jodee (Terry) Russell, Karen (Gary) Gruver and Konnie Losey (Kevin McLain), 24 grandchildren and their spouses, 53 great-grandchildren and 6 great-great-grandchildren, brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Paul and Catherine Schwarck), Evelyn Schwarck and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In eternal life, Joan will be reunited with her husband Carl Schwarck, son-in-law Rick Morris, daughter-in-law Teri Schwarck, grandson Chase Losey, her parents, mother-in-law and father-in-law, sisters – Norma Lee Schwarck and Virginia Rae Newell, many sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law and cousins.

• Lovingly written by the family