Joan Vance

Joan. V. Vance, 94 of Kearney died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014 at the Mother Hull Home in Kearney. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM, Tuesday at Evangelical Free Church in Kearney. The Rev. Steve Shanno will officiate. Interment will be in the Kearney Cemetery. Visitation will be 5-7pm, Monday at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney and continue one hour prior to service time at the church. Online condolences may be shared at osrfh.com. O’Brien Straatmann Redinger is in charge of arrangements. Joan Vivian Clark was born on July 30, 1920, to Richard J. Clark and Vivian F. (Morton) Clark in Tampa, FL. After the family resided in Florida for 14 years, they moved to Kearney, NE, and later to Denver, CO. Joan graduated from Denver East High. She married Maynard P. Vance on September 27, 1937. They were blessed with two children, Phil M. Vance and Vivian V. Vance. They resided in Denver, and then moved to Nebraska, living in Kearney, Bladen, Omaha, and Amherst. In 1964, Maynard accepted a teaching position with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and they resided on the NM Navajo Indian Reservation and the AZ Papago Reservation. Joan attended UNM in Albuquerque and NAU in Flagstaff, AZ. She managed the Ft. Wingate Post Exchange, a branch of the Sandia Base in Albuquerque. In 1980, they retired to Kearney where Joan volunteered for the Hospital League, Meals on Wheels, AARP, Nebraska Senior Citizen Council as State Coordinator and Past President, Kearney Hospitality Center as Board Member and Vice-Chairman. She was a member of the Kearney Evangelical Free Church. Survivors include her children, Phil and his wife Judy Vance of Tecumseh, NE, and daughter, Vivian and her husband Jerry May of Kearney. Her grandchildren are Julie (Vance) North, Kristy (Vance) Crissler, Matthew Vance, Mark May and Michael May. Great grandchildren are: Evan Meyer, Philip Monfelt, Emalee North, Macee North, Colin Crissler, Joshua May, Michaela May and Amelia May, one great-great granddaughter, VaeLynn Meyer, and many nieces, nephews and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, husband, brother, Richard Clark, and granddaughter, Amy (Vance) Meyer. Memorials are suggested to the Kearney Evangelical Free Church Children’s Library.

Joan Vance

July 30, 1920 - December 25, 2014