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JoAnn Nurnberg, 80

JoAnn Nurnberg, 80, of Creston, died Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at the Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. A Celebration of Life Service was held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 at the Powers Funeral Home, 601 New York Avenue in Creston. Pastor Cynthia Ripperger officiated. The service was live streamed. Open visitation was held from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday, with family receiving friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, 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 in Adams County, Iowa near Prescott to Frelo and Irene (Meeks) Stringham December 23, 1942. She passed away Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Des Moines. 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 August 5, 1962, in Mount Ayr, and celebrated 60 great years together in August of 2022 at the International Pyrotechnic Guild Convention with over 1600 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. She is survived by one sister, Janice Still of Mt Ayr; grandchildren Nicholas (Christina) Custer of Lenox; Steffan (Katie) Custer of Arvada, Colorado; Aurora JoAnn Arevalo of Ames; Jacob (Tiana) Nordman of Tripoli; Sam Nordman of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Dustin Harms and Heather Harms of Kansas City, MO; and Nathan Harms of Peculiar, MO; 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 & Harriet Nurnberg; brothers-in-law DC Simpson and Eldon “Ellie” Still, and one sister, Kay Young.
JoAnn’s career included many years as a Teller at the Iowa State Savings Bank in Creston, Iowa where she managed the ISSB Branch Bank on Hwy 25 in Creston. 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 Vesta Chapter 223, 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, 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 the ISSB bank branch!), at organizational holiday parties, and especially for family gatherings. She always created the magic in the special themes that she and Roger dreamed up 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.

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