Joan R. Koehler

Joan R. Koehler, 89, formerly of Mason City, passed away on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Spurgeon Manor in Dallas Center, Iowa. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 419 N Delaware Ave. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service time. Burial will be held in Memorial Park Cemetery.

To watch Joan's service, click here: Joan's Service.

Joan R. Koehler was born on December 28, 1936, in Des Moines to parents John and Neita Rhinehart. She grew up in Dallas Center, Iowa. She attended both Iowa State and Drake University. She was a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. Joan taught art education in the Mason City School system. In 1971, she was united in marriage to Frank Koehler. She and Frank also liked wintering in Arizona which they did for about forty years.
Joan enjoyed arts and crafts of many kinds including knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking and stamping card creations. She also loved a good flea market or thrift store where she could add to her many collections of dolls, crystals, birds, and antiques of many kinds. Gardening was another of her special talents and she really enjoyed turning the dirt and growing some amazing plant life. Keeping the birds well fed was another passion of Joan as she always kept a variety of bird feeders full and enjoyed watching the various birds who visited them often.

She is survived by her daughters, Suzan Koehler of Arizona, Sharon Koehler (James) of New Mexico and Shirley Koehler (Jim) of New Jersey, one brother, Charles Rhinehart (Judy) of Iowa. She was also a grandmother to Carrie Keel, Cassandra Nielson, Jonathan Nielson and Bethany Larson, Izaak Janowski, Ava Janowski, Amanda Kabrick, and Brittany Peterson, as well as aunt to Ty McClure, Lisa Newton, Melanie Strickland, Heather McClure, Rebecca Podyminogin, Lydia Denogean. Joan also has many great grandchildren, and great nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Koehler, her parents, John and Neita Rhinehart, sister Linda McClure, and daughter Sandra Borrill.