Joan was born July 2, 1934 in St. Louis, Missouri to Dorothy Briggs and Walter Scheffler. She was raised by her loving mother Dorothy and wonderful stepfather, James McKinney. She passed away on May 26, 2026 after being on hospice for ten months. Joan was preceded in death by her husband of 70 years, George Oliver Wiesehan. Also preceded in death by her loving sister, Jacqueline McKinney, and brothers Harold Scheffler and William Mckinney.
Joan was raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated from Roosevelt High School where she met her future husband, George. They were married in 1953 at St. Lukes United Methodist Church. They welcomed their only child, Sandra, in 1957. Joan had a strong work ethic and worked throughout her life at a variety of jobs. She was great with numbers, and did bookkeeping and payroll work. She could run a comptometer faster than anyone! She worked at Southwestern Bell Telephone, Mayrose Meat Packing Company, and Inmont Corporation. She also did all the billing and bookwork for her husband George’s mechanic business and gas stations throughout the years.
Joan loved to travel and see new places. She and her sister Jackie traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, and Egypt, along with many areas of the United States. She took cruises to Alaska, France, and Europe. She loved an adventure! George and Joan made many trips to Canada to catch the biggest fish they could find. Joan’s favorite spot was Gulf Shores, Alabama where she could enjoy the beach and sunshine.
The family spent weekends at their log cabin in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri enjoying the peaceful outdoors. Her love of the outdoors led her take many walks. A favorite spot to walk was the St. Louis Zoo enjoying the animal exhibits. She was never without a cat for a pet, and would take in a stray anytime.
In her leisure time Joan enjoyed knitting and crocheting. She made innumerous blankets for family and friends. During her retirement years she chose to volunteer in the community at the St. Louis History Museum and the St. Louis Science Center. Following the Flood of ’93 she chose to serve at the Salvation Army with disaster relief. This led her back to work again as she traveled to other areas of the United States to help with those rebuilding their lives after devastating floods.
Joan will live on in our hearts and we cherish the memories we made together. Joan is survived by her daughter, Sandra Newman (John), granddaughter, Elizabeth Thurau (David) and three great grandchildren, Madeline, Samantha, and Nathan. She loved visits with the greatgrandchildren as they gave her a reason to smile.
Services: Visitation at Kutis South County Chapel 5255 Lemay Ferry Road Wednesday, June 3, 2026, 4-8pm then to St. Lukes United Methodist Church 2761 Telegraph Road St. Louis, MO 63125 service Thursday, June 4, 2026, 10am. Interment Mt. Hope Cemetery.