‘No obituary:’ North Dakota nurse remembered for humble life of service

ARTHUR, N.D. — Everybody in Arthur, North Dakota, knew Joanne Iwen because the veteran church organist and nurse on the town. She labored for years on the Arthur Good Samaritan Middle.

“It is a comic story, too: She was born two doorways down from the place she lived,” Abe Iwen, her son, mentioned because the interview began.

Abe mentioned his mom spent her life serving to others and receiving no fanfare.

Her home within the middle of city, the place she lived for many years, would change into a trauma middle in any respect hours of the day or evening.

“So, our home turned that home the place everyone may simply come and go, and stroll within the door and open the fridge,” Abe mentioned.

“The one factor folks would know that know her: She had a really calming impact,” he mentioned.

There are plenty of tales on the market. Like the person who stopped by the home after severing his ring finger. Joanne knew what to do, and she or he saved the finger for reattachment. Or the hunter, whereas gutting a deer, severing an artery in his leg. Joanne to the rescue.

“(She) put the knife again in (the opening), simply plugged it up, and that is the very best sealer of that gap could be the knife that went in, in order that sealed it up,” Abe mentioned.

She did crosswords into her 90s. When Joanne died in September on the age of 92, her six kids all knew the drill.

“Do not be bragging. That was a no-no. Bragging was one thing you simply did not do,” Abe mentioned.

Her youngsters say all she needed for an obituary was the date of her start and dying.

“Simply do not trouble. No funeral. No obituary. Adequate,” Abe mentioned.

“When folks die, you are likely to deify them. You make them greater than they have been, and we used to inform her, ‘We do not have to deify you, since you lived it,’” Abe mentioned.

So, her youngsters wrote a non-obituary rather than a typical obituary, framing it like a dialog with their mom.

“However, Mother,” they wrote. “(…) do not you need everybody to know you graduated from Arthur Excessive College in 1948, St. Luke’s College of Nursing in ’51? … performed organ in church because you have been 12?”

“This wrote itself,” Abe mentioned.

Joanne informed them: “Simply inform them the day I flew away,” in line with the non-obituary.

“That, in a nutshell, was her complete life. Whether or not or not it’s serving to anyone visiting (or) giving them greens,” Abe mentioned.

Joanne bought a couple of final want. She did not get an costly funeral. Her ashes have been buried in considered one of her personal Ball canning jars.

“That is a little bit uncooked but,” Abe mentioned, wiping tears.

Whereas most church buildings do not toll the bell at funerals anymore, the bells at St. John Lutheran in Arthur this week rang 92 instances.

It was the obituary that wasn’t. Simply the details, however sufficient of them to understand nurse Joanne was a unprecedented mother and grandma and buddy who left behind an unbelievable, humble legacy.