Joan Crouch is remembered and celebrated for her beautiful trust in God, for the unconditional love she lavished on her family and friends, for her positive and radiant spirit and her remarkable zeal for living.
Joan Adell Cooper was born in Wichita, Kan., to Clarence and Lola (Louis) Cooper on Feb. 15, 1945, and attended schools in Wichita and Clay Center, Neb. She had a wonderful childhood with her sister, Shari (Cooper) Coffey, and brother, Jay Cooper. She graduated valedictorian from Enterprise Adventist Academy in Enterprise, Kan., in 1963, and then moved to Denver, Colo., where she worked as account bookkeeper for 7-Eleven Corp. She met her husband, Bob Crouch, of Des Moines, in Denver while he was attending aircraft maintenance school. They were married in Denver in 1965 and moved to Des Moines in 1971.
Joan devoted much of her career to Little Lambs Day Care in Des Moines where she served as director for 23 years and was a longtime member of the Des Moines Seventh-day Adventist Church. Her husband dedicated much of his career to corporate aviation for Meredith Corporation. They raised their two sons, Robb and Nathan,
in Des Moines.
Joan and Bob moved to Columbia, Mo., in 2002 to be close to family, including their son, Nathan, their adored daughter-in-law, Heidi Chapman Crouch, and, of course, their cherished grandchildren: Jackson was born in 2004, and Addison was born in 2007, and both were the center of Joan’s life and lovingly call her Gram. Joan also relished a special bond with the entire Chapman family.
Joan cherished her church family at Columbia Seventh-day Adventist Church and served as church clerk and secretary. She also enjoyed volunteering as a tutor at College Park Christian Academy. She was a talented artist who enjoyed painting with oils, acrylics and watercolors and created beautiful quilts.
Memorial gifts may be made in Joan’s honor to College Park Christian Academy, 1114 College Park Dr., Columbia, MO 65203-1826.
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