Joan Ryker Rhoades

Funeral services for Joan Ryker Rhoades age 90 of Broken Bow will be held on Thursday, July 14, 2022, at 10:00 AM at Govier Brothers Mortuary in Broken Bow with Pastor Tim Peterson officiating.    Burial will be at the Wellfleet Cemetery at 2:00 PM Thursday afternoon. 

A visitation will be held on Wednesday 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary with the family greeting friends 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.  Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.  An online guest book can be signed at www.govierbrothers.com 

Joan Ryker Rhoades was born October 3^rd, 1931, to Albert and Margaret Heitman in Wellfleet, NE.  She passed peacefully from this earth on July 8^th, 2022, in her home surrounded by family in Broken Bow, NE.

Joan was married to Maurice Ryker June 26, 1949, in Wellfleet, and to this union five children were born.  William, Patricia (Frank), Maurice Dean (Jean), Douglas (Ann), Pamela (Ron).  She also unofficially adopted Caroline Hood Hult of Superior, NE. 

After the marriage, Joan and Maurice resided on his father’s ranch north of Wellfleet.  They moved in 1959 to a ranch in the Sandhills east of Brewster in Blaine County. 

Joan was employed at the Halsey Forest until the mid-sixties when she began working at Becton Dickinson, Broken Bow, NE where she retired after many years of service.  She drove 45 miles one way on country roads through all kinds of weather until she moved to Broken Bow where she resided the rest of her life. 

In 1989, her husband Maurice passed away.  She remarried to Willard Rhoades, who was her very best friend throughout life, in 1992. 

She loved her family dearly and card games always broke out when family visited.  She also looked forward to special trips to the casino where she was Lady Luck. Joan loved looking nice and had a flair for fashion getting her hair fixed and her nails polished on a regular schedule. 

Joan is survived by her children, 15 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter. 

She was sustained by her faith and was baptized as a young girl.  Her sense of humor and her love of life carried her to the ripe old age of 90 before she went to meet her Lord.