Joan was born on March 29, 1928, to Laura and Clement Koehler in Chicago, Illinois. She was the third child, joining her brother, Francis, and a sister, Mary.

Joan’s maternal grandparents and an uncle also lived in the family home and so it might be described as a family of adults. It is, perhaps, because of this that Joan was a very shy and sensitive child. (This characteristic carried over into her adult life.)

Nevertheless, Joan was a very happy little girl. She was delighted when she was joined by a little brother, William, and then another sister, Regina, and brother, Jerome.  Joan and William (Bill) were especially close and enjoyed playing many of the childhood games with other children in the neighborhood, and from their elementary school, St. Margaret Mary.

When Regina and Jerry (Jerome) were born, Joan was a big help to her mother by taking care of Regina, while her sister Mary took care of Jerry.  Joan was very close to her mother and throughout her life loved and cared for her in special ways.

An older Jewish neighbor also was very dear to Joan. Joan frequently went to visit Mrs. Kernes. Joan would help her and, in particular, would do tasks on the Sabbath that Mrs. Kernes, being an orthodox Jew, was unable to do. A person might say that at a very early age, Joan engaged in Jewish-Christian dialogue which evolved in her adult life into an active involvement in Jewish-Christian dialogue in Milwaukee.

It prompted her to spend several months studying in Jerusalem at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute of Theology.  In 1994, Joan wrote of this experience: “It was indeed a grace to be able to visit the various holy places in Israel. But I must say that my experience of living on the border of the West Bank – the military check point was right next to our institution – and being able to interact personally with both the Israeli Jews in Jerusalem and the Arabs in Bethlehem, gave me a greater insight into the violence inherent not only in each one of us, but particularly in a situation where one people attempt to control the lives of another people.” Joan had this wonderful opportunity to interact with Jews, Christians, and Muslims who had committed themselves to work for peace.

When Joan graduated from Mallinckrodt High School in Wilmette, Illinois in 1945, she received a special award for excelling in bookkeeping and other courses in business. Consequently, when she entered the School Sisters of St. Francis, she was prepared to be a business education teacher and earned a bachelor of arts degree from Alverno College in 1950, and a master of education from DePaul University in 1963 to prepare her for this endeavor.

Joan obediently accepted this assignment, and taught business classes at St. Martin’s Commercial School in Chicago, Madonna High School in Aurora, Illinois, and St. Joseph High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. But her true longing was to teach theology, especially scripture.  Thus it was that while Joan was part time business teacher and residence hall director at Alverno College from 1969 to 1979, she asked and received permission to study scripture and theology at Marquette University in Milwaukee, where she earned a master of arts degree in 1970.

After some years of continuing to work as residence hall director and teaching scripture at Alverno, Joan joined the Sacred Heart Priests at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. She was not only an outstanding teacher, but was loved by all faculty, students, and staff. Shortly before she retired from Sacred Heart School of Theology in June 2007, she received the honor of being made professor emeritus.

In a way, the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been with Joan in a special way throughout her life, from her baptism at St. Margaret Mary Church in 1929; to her having worked and been made professor emeritus at Sacred Heart School of Theology; to her retiring at Sacred Heart Convent. Here, Joan enjoyed being with the sisters, doing crossword puzzles, playing Scrabble and other games, and seeking out places for quiet reflection.

When Our Lady of the Angels Convent, a memory care home co-sponsored by the School Sisters of St. Francis and the School Sisters of Notre Dame, opened in 2011, Joan, who had been experiencing some memory loss, moved in with the first group of sisters. She brought along her pleasant disposition and winning smile.  She greatly appreciated everything that anyone did for her and was always ready with “Oh, thank you, I love you.”

After visiting St. Joseph Convent for the first time as a young woman, Joan said that she truly felt at home, and she loved the sisters. Well, Joan, now you are at your “forever” home with your loving Father, your family, and all of your sisters.