Joan Ellen Lewis

April 7, 1945 - February 20, 2020

Joan Ellen Lewis, 74, of Rensselaer, Ind. passed away on Thursday, February 20, 2020. Joan was born on April 7, 1945 in Watseka, Illinois to Raymond and Pearl (Merrick) Prather. She graduated from Mount Ayr High School with the Class of 1963. Joan went on to obtain her certification from the Lafayette School of Cosmetology. On June 11, 1975, she married Robert D. Lewis in Mount Ayr, Indiana. Joan enjoyed many jobs throughout her life. She was a retired beautician and cherished her clients at the former Paul’s Beauty Salon, Uptown Girls, and Oak Grove Christian Retirement Village. Joan was also previously employed at JCPenney, Ona Hooker Smart Shop and the Indiana State Highway Garage. She was able to share her love of cooking with the children of Rensselaer Central Middle School, where she served as a lunch lady for four years before retiring. Joan had a passion for cooking. She also loved to knit and relax while fishing in Minnesota. She was a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Rensselaer. Joan also belonged to TOPS Club, Inc. and was a past member of Sigma Phi Gamma. Joan is survived by her husband Robert, her five children, Todd (Micki) Lewis of Noblesville, Ind., Tara Wood of Monticello, Ind., Randy (Alice) Lewis of Rensselaer, Kathy Lewis of Monticello, Ind., and Cindy (Jim) Deaton of Brenham, Texas, her sister Judi Adams of Wabash, Ind., her brother Jerry (Cindy) Prather of Lafayette, Ind., eleven grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter. She was preceded in death by her father, Raymond, and her mother, Pearl, as well as two of her sisters, Jeraldine and June. Friends are invited to visit with the family at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Rensselaer on Monday, February 24, 2020 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. A funeral service will follow at noon. Pastor Benjamin Hertel will be officiating. Burial will be immediately following at Memory Gardens of Rensselaer. Memorials may be made to Pulmonary Fibrosis Association or St. Luke’s Lutheran Church.