DEPEW, Joan (Nettleship) - b,. December 27, 1925 - d. September 17, 2017

[patyrn]

Joan Depew, age 91, of Moline, Kansas, passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the Stoneybrook Assisted Living Memory Care Center in Manhattan, Kansas.  The daughter of Lewis and Doris Nettleship, she was born on December 27, 1925 at 35 Tickle Street in Denaby Main, England. 

As a fifteen-year-old graduate of high school, Joan falsified her age and joined the British Army serving for four and a half years of active duty.  Her job was serving meals in the dining hall for the British officers.  On March 7, 1945, Joan married Arthur Dwain Depew, an American GI from Grenola, Kansas who was stationed in England while serving in the United States Navy.  Shortly afterward, the war ended and Dwain was shipped back to the States.  On February 14, 1946, Joan was in the first wave of wives allowed to leave Europe to join the love of her life.  Joan traveled the seven day trip by boat on the Queen Mary where she arrived in New York, catching a train to Independence, Kansas.  Dwain borrowed his grandparents' car and met Joan to take her to live in Grenola, Kansas in his parents' home.  A year later, they moved to Moline, Kansas where Dwain took a job at Horn's IGA.  Dwain died on December 27, 1997 in Yuma, Arizona while wintering in the warm Arizona climate.  Joan remained in Moline until March 2014 when she moved to Stoneybrook Assisted Living in Manhattan, Kansas to be closer to her son, Les Depew.

Joan worked various jobs during her days in Moline.  She worked at the Dairy Queen, the Moline Mercantile, and finally the Moline Food Market which she and Dwain owned for thirty-three years.  Joan could always be seen behind the register with a beautiful smile and warm greeting to all the customers that shopped in the grocery store.  After selling the store in 1992, Joan and Dwain spent their time traveling in their fifth wheel and and camper where Dwain would fish and hunt and Joan would cook and clean house.  Joan became an American citizen on January 15, 1957.  She was an active member of the Moline Methodist Church and UMW for over sixty years.  She was also a member of the American Legion.

Joan is survived by her son, Les Depew and wife, Marilyn Waters Depew of Manhattan, Kansas.  Also surviving are two grandchildren, Kristi Depew Crawford and husband, Danny of Wylie, Texas and Lori Depew Andrade and husband, Rob of Cypress, Texas; and six great-grandchildren, Jacob, Kyla, and Kade Crawford and Sofia, Bobby, and Caitlyn Andrade.

A visitation for family and friends will be held at Countryside Funeral Home in Howard, Kansas on Thursday, September 21, 2017 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  A joyous celebration of her life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 22, 2017 at the Moline United Methodist Church in Moline, Kansas with Pastor Dena Allison officiating.  Interment will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery in Grenola, Kansas.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Moline United Methodist Church or Stoneybrook Assisted Living Memory Care in Manhattan, Kansas and may be left with or mailed to Countryside Funeral Home, 206 E. Washington, Howard, Kansas 67349 which is in  charge of arrangements.  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.countrysidefh.com.

(taken from the Countryside Funeral Home website)