Joan Kathleen Nelson
March 6, 1940 – December 21, 2025
Joan, 85, passed away peacefully at South Baldwin Hospital in Foley, AL with her daughters by her side on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
She was born on March 6, 1940 at Ft. Atkinson Memorial Hospital in Ft. Atkinson, WI, to Lyle and Catherine Harris, Whitewater. Joan was the first of 3 daughters.
Joan graduated from City High in Whitewater, WI in 1958. She was actively involved in the band, playing the French horn. She also played the accordion and when she played at home for her children, they loved singing along with all the Polka songs.
She started working while still in high school at the A & W Root-beer stand in Whitewater as a carhop. She then worked at The Whitewater Register and the telephone company.
Joan met her future husband, Bryan, at the Hawk Bowl in Whitewater. They then were married July 8, 1961 at the Bible Church. They moved to Janesville, WI and built their first home, living there for 4 years before buying a small farm in Fort Atkinson. Bryan started his plumbing business and Joan worked at Schweiger Furniture Industries in Jefferson. They lived there in Fort until 1975 when they sold their 2nd home they built to move to Orfordville, WI on a little larger farm with a tree nursery and 3 ponies. After their move Joan got to have her big house built. With Bryan’s business doing well, Joan enjoyed being the bookkeeper/secretary for Bryan Nelson Plumbing. She also bartended part-time at the Village Inn in Footville, making many friends. From Orfordville the family moved back to Janesville in 1990. Joan was still working for Bryan and took care of a couple of rental properties some bought and some built.
In 2012 Joan survived an Aortic Aneurysm that ruptured during surgery at Madison University Hospital. Though she credited the staff for saving her life, she was paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. Never letting this stop her, people who often saw her out and about driving her handicap accessible van were always amazed at her spunk! In 2020 Joan and her 2 eldest daughters made a move to Foley, AL, a place where family had frequently vacationed and loved.
Joan is survived by her daughters Tracey Fox and Terry Nelson, Foley, AL, Toni (Jim) Meyer, Brodhead, and Daughter-in-law Susan Nelson, Janesville. Grandchildren Catherine Nelson, Cudahy and David Nelson, Janesville, Nick Rowley, Brodhead and Sarah (Ryan Flood) Rowley, Orfordville, Stephanie Myher, Amanda and Allison Phelps, Janesville. Great-grandchildren that she was so happy to see, Weston Rowley, Brodhead, Kinsley and Ellery Flood, Orfordville along with step great-grands Lainey, Lilly and Lola Flood, Orfordville. Joan’s sisters Barbara (Tom) Dosemagen, Whitewater and Linda (Rodney) Sandleback, Hartford, WI. Sisters-in-law Sherry Plucinski, Elkhorn and Jeanette Nelson, Ft. Atkinson, along with many nieces and nephews.
Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Bryan, son Brent, sons-in-law Thomas Fox and Steven Rowley, her parents Lyle and Catherine Harris, parents-in-law Marvin and Naomi Nelson and Joan’s best friend Judy Kulinski, and we also can’t forget her caregiver that she had has since being here in Alabama, Kristen Hayes. She was always ready, willing and able to help us.
We really want to thank South Baldwin Hospital for all the patience, help and love they gave us preparing for our mother’s next journey. They were all kind, considerate and professional.
