Joan “Joni” Ann Stevens, 69 years, passed away Tuesday, May 14, 2024, surrounded by family and friends. Joan was born in Detroit, MI to Dr. Robert E. and Agnes “Jimmie” (Menges) Murphy. She was married to Kenton Micheal Stevens. She is survived by her daughter Audra (Warner) Delashmutt of Galesburg; her son Andrew Stevens of Galesburg; her grandson Jacob Delashmutt; and one sister Kathleen Krogmeier. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and older sister Michele Murphy.
Joni was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 2nd, Joni was a Motown baby who loved Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, and many more. She continued to fill the house with music throughout her life, whether it was lullabies, singing in the car during family trips to St. Louis, or while baking treats at Christmas.
The youngest daughter of Dr. Robert E. and Agnes “Jimmie” (Menges) Murphy, it is said she took every advantage to terrorize her older sisters - Michele “Miki” Murphy and Kathleen “Kit’ Krogmeier. In her younger years, Joni enjoyed riding horses. She loved to show her horses (Fred, Fly Boy, and Scratch) and participated in Saddle Club events and barrel racing in the Tri-State Rodeo. Her passion for all things art and creative also started at an early age. In 1972, she graduated from Aquinas High School.
At the age of 17, she met the guy she was going to marry, Kenton Stevens, and on February 17, 1973, she made that a reality. They were wed at Sacred Heart Church in Fort Madison and would stay happily married for 31 years. During that time, they welcomed two wonderful children into the world, Audra and Andrew. Joni was an amazing stay-at-home mom who was very involved in her children's lives. She also enjoyed tole painting, making jewelry, making art with her vast collection of rubber stamps, sewing clothes for both kids and Audra's dolls, and gardening. She loved being in her garden surrounded by pansies, butterflies, and hummingbirds. That was her happy place.
After Kent passed in 2004, Joni became a 911 Dispatcher for the Fort Madison Police Department. She LOVED this job! She was great at this job because of her amazing patience, which allowed her to handle many stressful situations with poise and ease. Her biggest accomplishment (besides raising her kids, of course) was going to college to get her Phlebotomy certification. Being a vampire was her true calling. She relished it all, from the fast-paced energy of the ER to the patient interactions of the clinical draws. Joni would have still been working as a phlebotomist if a stroke in 2011 hadn't brought that to an abrupt end.
After her stroke, she continued to live on her own in Fort Madison and then in Galesburg next to Audra. She lived independently until the very end and took great pride in letting the doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and case workers know this fact.
Family will greet friends from 9:30 am to 11:00 am Saturday, May 18, 2024, with a Catholic Prayer service, with Reverend Gary Beckman as Celebrant, to follow at 11:00 am Saturday morning at Barr Memorial Chapel, Fort Madison. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to be made to Beads of Courage https://beadsofcourage.org/. https://beadsofcourage.org/Barr Memorial Chapel is honored to serve the Stevens family and an online guest book may be found at www.barrmemorialchapel.com.
