Cathryn Joanne (Burns) Buch, 88, passed away June 9, 2020. The private funeral services for immediate family are Saturday, June 13, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Fairfield. Burial at Evergreen Cemetery.
Joanne was born May 21, 1932, in Mount Pleasant, to parents, Sara Agnes Scott Burns and Joseph Dominic Burns of Mount Pleasant. Joanne attended St. Alphonsus School in Mount Pleasant and Ottumwa Heights Academy and College in Ottumwa. Joanne married Keith Buch on April 7, 1951, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant. They resided northwest of Fairfield on their farm their entire married life, with the exception of one year in Wisconsin and one year in Oklahoma, which Keith served in the armed forces.
After all the children were in school, Joanne worked for 20 years at Parkview Care Center as an activity coordinator. Joanne served as president for many organizations: Southeast Iowa Association of Activity Coordinator, State President of Iowa Association of Activity Coordinators, also severing on the board of National Association of Activity Professionals, being an Iowa delegate to Sacramento, Calif., Minneapolis, Minn., Chicago and Charlotte, N.C. Joanne received the state of Iowa distinguished Service Award as Activity Coordinator. She was an instructor for 25 years at Indian Hills Community College. Joanne served as president of St. Mary’s Altar and Rosary Society several times throughout the years. She also was president of Diocesan Council of Catholic Women as well as serving on the board of the National Council of Catholic Women.
She has served as Eucharistic Administer at St. Mary’s Catholic Church and taught sixth grade CCD classes.
Joanne became a practitioner of Reflexology in her retirement years and became the founding president of Iowa Association of Reflexology. Later she served as director of the association. She also has served as a Reiki Master.
Joanne is survived by her two daughters, Janet Drish (John) of Bettendorf, Iowa, and Phyllis Buch of Fairfield, and her sons, Steve, Ken, Mike, John and Terry Buch, all from Fairfield; grandchildren, Derek (Jill) Drish, San Francisco, Calif., Dr. Jessica Drish Kata (J.), Mount Pleasant, Travis Buch, Ollie, Iowa, Corey (Meghan) Buch, Batavia, and Greg Civin (Kristen), Fairfield; great- grandchildren, Case Buch, Mackenzie and Stella Drish, Genevieve Kata and Luke Civin.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Keith; son, Greg; daughter-in-law, Sandra Buch; her parents; sisters, Louise McCormick and Helen McBeth, both of Mount Pleasant; and her two brothers, Bill Burns and Jim Burns of Denver, Colo.
A Celebration of Life will be at a later time. Cards of Sympathy can be mailed to: Janet Drish, 1684 Packwood Road, Fairfield, IA 52556.
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