Joan Mary Minerath, age 79, passed on to eternal life on August 17, 2017, after a courageous fight with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS - Lou Gehrig's Disease) at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, surrounded by her loving family. Joan was born on August 18, 1937, in Milwaukee, WI. She was the youngest of three children and the only daughter of Aaron and Loraine Welter. Joan graduated from Mercy High School in 1955 and married the love of her life, Bernard E. Minerath in 1957. She dedicated herself full time as a homemaker and was blessed with six children between the years of 1958 and 1966. In 1972, Joan continued her education, attending Alverno College in Milwaukee, WI. earning a baccalaureate degree in Medical technology, graduating Cum Laude in 1976. After finishing college Joan continued to be a life-long learner taking every opportunity to expand her knowledge. She worked in various fields that were challenging and rewarding including medical technology at several hospitals. She found a passion for teaching, and enjoyed training others to utilize new software programs at AB Dick. She was also an executive assistant at Allis-Chalmers where she worked for multiple bosses allowing her to expand her skillset into many different areas. A true passion of Joan's was cooking for her family. She was able to take the simplest list of ingredients and turn them into a feast. Her nutritious homecooked meals kept a growing family fed. The tasty delights she prepared were always filled with love. Joan spent a great deal of her life in service to others. From a young age until very recently she frequently volunteered to help out at the churches she attended. She donated blood regularly for her entire adult life, and was always quick to give a helping hand to friends, neighbors, and others in need. An avid gardener, she enjoyed planting flowers, vegetables, and trees. In recent years, she found challenges in keeping deer from eating the fruits of her labor. While she enjoyed all of these things, clearly her passion was traveling with her husband. Be it near or far they enjoyed seeing the world enjoying time in Door Co, Idaho, Alaska, long winter vacations in Florida, Poland, China, the Holy Land, Ireland, Italy, and other destinations creating long-lasting memories of the places visited and the new friends they made. Joan is survived by her loving husband, Bernard E. Minerath; her sons, Bernard (Cheryl) Minerath and David (Diane) Minerath; her daughters, Jean (Stephen) Mathieu, Elizabeth (Troy Azbill) Frances, Mary Rider, and Lori (Terry) Bandle; 15 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren. Joan was preceded in death by her parents Aaron and Loraine Welter, her brothers Father James Welter and John Welter, and her grandson Bernard Minerath. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, August 21, 2017, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 322 Fulton St, Eau Claire, with Father Dhein officiating. Visitation will be 3 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 20, 2017, at the 1st Avenue location of Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home, 814 1st Ave, Eau Claire, with a public prayer vigil at 6 p.m. Visitation will also be held at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the funeral home on Monday before processing to the church for Mass. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery, Eau Claire. In lieu of flowers donations are greatly appreciated to go to the ALS Support Group of Northwest Wisconsin http://alswalk.org/ or the ALS Association Wisconsin Chapter http://www.alsawi.org/donate. Joan's family extends it most heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Oak Garden Place Assisted Living, Sacred Heart Hospice and the ALS Association of Chippewa Falls for the love and support they provided to Joan.

Service Information

Visitation

Sunday, August 20 2017 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral & Cremation Services 814 First Avenue Eau Claire WI 54703

Service- St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 322 Fulton St, Eau Claire

Monday, August 21 2017 11:00 AM

Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral & Cremation Services 814 First Avenue Eau Claire WI 54703