Obituary of Joanne Darlene (Lohmeyer) Puterbaugh

On Thursday morning, June 10, 2021, Joanne Darlene (Lohmeyer) Puterbaugh passed away in her home in Independence Village, less than a week before her 85^th birthday, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes.  She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Leslie D Puterbaugh, her older sisters, Lavern and Mildred, a granddaughter, Kathryn Lynn Cook, and a great granddaughter, Tessa Grace Cook.  Surviving are her three children, Cheryl “Cherie” Lynn Cook (Billy), Terry Leslie Puterbaugh (Eva), and Eric Arthur Puterbaugh.  She has surviving eight grandchildren; Joshua David Cook (Rebekah), Micah Todd Cook (Kara), Emily Faith Colon (George), Ryan Theodore Puterbaugh, Sean Taylor Puterbaugh, Tara Puterbaugh, Kaitlin Puterbaugh and Andrew Puterbaugh.  She has surviving eight great grandchildren; Brogan Samuel Cook (Hannah), Callie Morgan Cook, Adeline Elise Cook, Cannon Micah Cook, Journie Camille Cook, Molly Joy Cook, and Jill Renee Cook.

Joanne was born to George William Lohmeyer and Laura Katharina Dalcher on June 22, 1936 in Pekin, Illinois where she grew up and married Leslie D Puterbaugh on April 5, 1953.  After moving to Ft Carson, Colorado, where Leslie served in the Army during the Korean War, they returned to Pekin, Illinois, where they lived and raised their three children until 1980, when they built their home in Hopewell, Illinois.  After Leslie retired from Caterpillar, they moved into their lake house on Lake of the Ozarks in Roach, Missouri.  They spent their winters in Mission, Texas.  After Leslie died in 2010, Joanne moved back to Peoria, Illinios to be near her son, Eric, and daughter, Cherie.

In their long joyful marriage, Joanne and Les had become one whole.  While Les worked to provide for the family, Joanne instilled in her children sturdy German American values of hard work, high standards of excellence, and a deep faith in God and His grace for followers of Jesus.  Joanne was a lifelong worshipper in the Lutheran Church wherever she lived.  Joanne loved to go fishing on the family camping vacations.  Among her many delicious meals, her noodles, German stew and red velvet cake recipes have been passed down to the next generations.  Joanne had a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her face … she had good “chi”.  She was always there.

A celebration of life will be held at Davison-Fulton-Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home on 2408 Willow Knolls Dr. in Peoria, Illinois on Sunday, June 13 at 2:30 pm. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services.

She will be buried in Hedges Cemetery in Camdenton, Missouri next to her husband, Leslie, on Tuesday, June 15, 2021 at 9:00 am.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Peoria Chapter.