Joan Harmelink

Joan Harmelink, 84, born December 19, 1923, passed on February 7, 2008 at 7:29 a.m. at St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver, Colorado. Surviving her are two daughters, Deborah Harmelink Stow of Castle Rock, Colorado and Diane Marsala of Alamo, California. Joan had four grandchildren and three surviving siblings, Morry Vande Berg from Orange City, Iowa, Audrey Rens of Edcondido, California and Jeanette Visser of Denver, Colorado.
Joan was a 1941 graduate of Sioux Center High School in Sioux Center, Iowa and also a graduate of Western Union College in Lemars, Iowa, earning a teaching diploma. After teaching elementary school for about four years, she married her high school sweetheart, George Harmelink, and moved to Fairview South Dakota, where they lived and raised their two daughters. In 1970, they moved to Yankton, South Dakota, where Joan took a position as the coordinator of volunteer activities for Yankton State Hospital. Concurrently, she served as President of the Southeast South Dakota Conference of Lutheran Women.
It was her desire to lead women through workshops and prayer retreats into encounters with God where they would use the scriptures daily and develop a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit.
In 1975, Joan moved to Sheldon, Iowa to take a position as Director of Volunteer Services at the Village Northwest Unlimited. She served in this capacity for eleven years, developing her department by coordinating the volunteer training, and orientation of the volunteers. At the time of her retirement in November of 1986, she had over 8000 volunteers contribute their time to the residents of the Village. Adding some fun along with her flare for the dramatic, she created a yearly luncheon and style show that she called her 'Spring Fling", which drew in over 500 in attendance in April of 1986. The Village became a second family to Joan as she labored alongside of Bob Hoogeveen, the Village's executive director and his staff.
Joan's tireless efforts to recognize her volunteers came as a heartfelt belief in team work that "would make the difference" in each of the Village resident's life. Her leadership skills stirred both passion and giving in her volunteers which culminated in her receiving the title of "First Lady of the Village" in 1986.
It was during these years in Sheldon, Iowa that Joan launched into a new music ministry, called the New Covenant Singers, with her good friend Donna Johnson. For ten years they ministered in worship and song throughout northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota. In 1978, they recorded and released their first album entitled, "We Have This Moment Together". Being one of Sioux Center's High School sweethearts in music, Joan fulfilled one of her life-long ambitions in the making of this album.
Joan moved to Arvada, Colorado in 1986, desiring to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren. Residing in Arvada for fifteen years, Joan joined Trinity Presbyterian Church and later became ordained as an Elder and held this office twice, first in 1990-1993, then again in 1997-1999. In addition, she became ordained as a Deacon from 1994-1997. Active in Companions for Christ, Women's Circle, and leading various adult Bible studies, she challenged her classes to reach out for more of God, thereby, reaching beyond their own limitations.
In 2002, Joan moved from her Arvada apartment to an assisted living situation, eventually residing at The Village at Lowery in Denver, Colorado. She was joined by her sister, Jean Visser, a few years later. She lived at the Village in Lowery until she was hospitalized for heart difficulties and high blood pressure. She continued in and out of the hospital and rehab till the day of her passing.
While at the Village at Lowery she provided protestant church services for the seniors each Sunday. In addition, she was active in many of the senior activities and seemed to be the life of the party, regardless if it was making a mealtime dinner delightful or playing a game of cards or bingo. With Joan it was a time of making and deepening friendships, sharing stories, and having a good laugh or two to remember the day as worthwhile.
During most of Joan's adult life she loved to cook and try out new recipes mostly found in all those Iowa cookbooks she seemed to keep over the years. In retrospect, her life, whether it was lived in Fairview South Dakota, Sheldon Iowa or in various parts of Colorado, was an unique recipe all of its own; filled with unforgettable friends, loving family members, and most of all plenty of prayer and just plain old-fashioned Iowa humor and fun.

Memorial Service will be held on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 11:00 AM at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 7755 Vance Drive, Arvada, CO 80003.