Joann Mesenbring

Joann Mesenbring of Camarillo, Calif. passed away peacefully on Monday, June 19, 2023, surrounded by family.
Cremation rites will be accorded, and a memorial celebration will be held on Aug. 26, 2023, at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Newbury Park, Calif. at 1 p.m.
Interment will be at the Guttenberg City Cemetery in Guttenberg.
She was born Joann Elizabeth White on Dec. 17, 1933, to Reuben and Violet (Bittner) White in Guttenberg. She grew up on a farm and attended a one room schoolhouse. She attended high school in Garnavillo, with a graduating class of 19 students.
Joann enjoyed playing high school basketball. Her team, with Joann as guard, won the district tournament finals her senior year and made it to the State Final Championship game. She was also a member of the glee club and was the homecoming queen.
After high school, Joann attended nurses’ school in Rochester, Minnesota, and upon graduating with a three-year degree (RN) she worked at the Mayo Clinic. One of her patients she found very challenging was Lyndon Johnson. Later in life, she went back to school and achieved a four-year degree BSN.
On Dec. 17, 1955, she married Hilton Walter Mesenbring at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. Hilton and Joann were blessed with four children and made their home in Minnesota, California, and Maryland. Her greatest joy was her family.
Joann was an outstanding nurse. She had a successful career working as an ICU nurse. She worked many years at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, California, and when near retirement, worked in discharge planning.
Joann and Hilton were married for 38 years until his passing in 1994. After retirement, she made homes in Iowa, Illinois, and California. She was very outgoing, generous, and friendly, making many friends wherever she went.
Joann enjoyed traveling, golfing, painting, playing bridge, wine tasting, and was known to savor sweets. She traveled extensively and multiple times to many places all over North America, Western and Eastern Europe including Soviet Russia, the Caribbean and Hawaii.
Joann was preceded in death by her parents and husband, who she dearly loved.
She is survived by her children, Mark Mesenbring of Manteno, Ill., Kurt (Tammie) Mesenbring of Bourbonnais, Ill., John Mesenbring of Paso Robles, Calif., and Karen (Jon) Dry of Newbury Park, Calif.; five granddaughters, Alexa Frank (Brandon Reilly), Kathleen Mesenbring, Kaitlyn Dry, Lauren Dry, and Grace Mesenbring.
Joann was a wonderful mother and dearly loved by her family and many friends. She will be greatly missed!
Memorials may be made to American Cancer Society.