JoAnn (Goldsmith) Pouch, 84, passed away on Thursday, February 11, 2021 at her home near Lyndon, Kansas. She was born on November 14, 1936 near Lyndon, the daughter of Harlan and Elsie (McCreight) Goldsmith. On September 7, 1957, JoAnn was married to Rudolph "Rudy" Pouch at the Lyndon United Methodist Church. To this union, three children were born: Vici, Kevin and Shane.

JoAnn grew up near Lyndon, loving the farm life and being a tremendous help to her parents on their dairy farm. She dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, but instead chose to become a nurse, taking care of patients, family and friends for nearly 60 years in two states. JoAnn graduated from Stormont-Vail School of Nursing in 1957, and actively nursed until 2001 when she retired from the Cotton O'Neil Clinic in Topeka. Throughout
her career, JoAnn worked in many different nursing capacities. She began as a right-hand scrub nurse to Dr. Choy in Topeka, scrub nurse at the Independence (MO) Sanitarium and Hospital, St. Francis labor and delivery nurse, Osage County Health Nurse, St. Catherine's Hospital in Concordia, Washington Co. Hospital, St. Catherine's Hospital in Great Bend, Quinter Hospital, Ellsworth Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital in Emporia, Hilltop Nursing Home Director of Nurses, and finally Cotton O'Neil. She maintained her nursing license until 2018, and helped many through UMC parish nursing, Lions Club Vision Van, and school screenings.

JoAnn's faith was her foundation and guide. She was a member of the Lyndon United Methodist Church, where she was a member of the Prayer Shawl Ministry and the United Methodist Women. JoAnn was a Bible scholar, and spent time each day in study, filling her journals with prayers and thoughts of others, and her insights on what she was learning. She served on the administrative council, was a Parish Nurse, helped in the preschool, made treats for most any request, and washed more dishes than she could count! Above all, when she saw a need she did her best to fill it, quietly.

Rudy brought JoAnn into the Lions Club family when they returned to Lyndon in 1991 to live on the Goldsmith farm. JoAnn assisted as his right hand while he served as a District Chair and then as State Governor. They enjoyed trips all over the United States for Lions Club International, and then they returned to Lyndon where many projects were put into action. After Rudy's death, JoAnn stepped into his shoes to continue their mission in serving those who suffered from blindness and diabetes around the world. In 2019, the Lyndon Lions Club bestowed JoAnn with a Melvin Jones Fellow award for dedicated humanitarian services from Lions International. She attended her last Lions meeting in January 2021 via Zoom! JoAnn also served Osage County as an election board worker and the community of Lyndon as a member of the Community Business Women.

JoAnn's hobbies were directly related to well-being and self-sufficiency. Spring time and the promise of a new garden, as well as countless hours of birdwatching, made her an expert on all things "outside." She was no stranger to hard work, and was equally pleased to provide her family with 80 quarts of green beans as she was to create a beautifully knitted shawl or hundreds of fruit cakes over the years. Her family will remember her love of playing Pitch, special birthday cakes (German Chocolate or Cherry Cheesecake), and special holiday packages full of French Cookies and
Valentine's Day oatmeal sugar cookies.

JoAnn was preceded in death by her husband, Rudy, on January 28, 2010; by her parents, Harlan and Elsie; and by her sister, Jennie Lee Nettleton.

JoAnn is survived by her three children, Vici (Frank) Jennings of Wamego, Kevin (Kim) Pouch of Newton and Shane Pouch of Mission; nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, six nieces and nephews, and too many "greats" and "great-greats" to count!

Memorial services for JoAnn will be at 10:00a.m. on Saturday, October 2 at the Lyndon City Park Shelter House. Inurnment will be in the Lyndon Cemetery. Memorial contributions for JoAnn may be made to the Lyndon Lions Club or the Lyndon United Methodist Church, sent in care of the funeral home.