Joan Hetzel

Mrs. Joan Hetzel of West Bend passed away in the early morning hours of Monday, April 17, 2023, at Waukesha Memorial Hospital after a brief illness. She was 78 years old.

Joan was born in Sheboygan on Dec. 8, 1944, the daughter of Orville and Elizabeth (nee Hohnberger) Stimes.

She grew up in Sheboygan Falls and graduated from Sheboygan Falls High School.

On Sept. 14, 1968, she married the love of her life, Donald Hetzel, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sheboygan Falls. He preceded her in death in 2014.

Joan worked as a data analyst for Allen Bradley and later Rockwell Automation in Cedarburg for more than 25 years.   

She was a longtime member of the Ozaukee Chapter #147 Order of the Eastern Star and a very active member of the West Bend Senior Citizens Activities Center.

Joan kept a very busy social calendar.  She enjoyed playing cards, including euchre, 500 and cribbage. She also enjoyed playing bingo and dominos, scrapbooking and making her friends and family homemade cards.   

Joan is survived by her two daughters, Laura (fiance Joseph Pollard) Hetzel and Kristin (Aaron Baker) Hetzel, her stepdaughter Dawn (Jerry) Carter and nine grandchildren, Collin, Jade, Haylee, Presley, Trevor, Alyssa, Caleb, Michael and Lisa.

She is further survived by her sister Carol (the late Donald) Gahagan, two stepsisters, Marlys (Frank) Lohr and Karen (the late John Michael) Murphy, one sister-in-law, Betty Stimes, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents Orville and Elizabeth, her husband Donald, her grandson Hunter, her brother Lee Stimes, her sister Rachel Stimes, stepbrothers Robert and Eugene Herber and stepsister Patricia Lohse.

Funeral services for Joan will be celebrated on Monday, April 24, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Eernisse Funeral Home, 1600 W. Grand Ave., Port Washington.

A visitation will precede the funeral service at the funeral home on Monday, April 24, from 5 to 7 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Ozaukee Masonic Lodge.

Eernisse Funeral Home, Port Washington, is honored to serve the family.

Online condolences may be left at www.eernissefuneralhome.com.