Joan M. Wattenbarger, 73, born February 4, 1953 to Maxine (Fitzsimmons) and Arthur Paulsen in Tilden, NE passed away on Thursday, August 13, 2026 at University Hospital in Columbia. Joan married Joe Dale Wattenbarger on November 28, 1987 in Milan, MO. To this marriage they had a son, Robert Lee.
Joan graduated from Elkhorn Valley High School in 1971. Joan worked in Monmouth, IL for 15 years before moving to Milan in 1986. She worked as a waitress, office manager for Doctors (Dr. David Siglin and Dr. Mohammed Tabibi), Sullivan County Memorial Hospital as a receptionist and in medical records, Milan Community Care as Medical Records Director, then at Premium Standard Foods in the parts department and on the floor handling hog parts. She then worked at Putnam County State Bank for 19 ½ years until retiring.
Joan is survived by her son, Robert Lee Wattenbarger (Amanda Daigle) from Texas, stepdaughters, Bobby Joe (Wattenbarger) Adams and Kimberly Frazier; two grandchildren, McKinley Kate and Jaxon Cole Wattenbarger; step-grandchildren, Tyler, Morgan, Alissia, Nathan Wattenbarger, Jordan Gilworth, Megan Haines, Taylor Barton; step great grandchildren, Blakley, Callie, Korra, and Annalise.
She was preceded in death by: Her parents; husband, Joe Dale; father and mother-in-law, Mary Catherine and Lee Wattenbarger; grandparents, Francis and Ray Fitzsimmons and Mollie and Chris Paulsen; a stepdaughter, Amanda Wattenbarger; and niece, Kayce Marie Lange.
A funeral service for Joan will be held 2:00 PM, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, at Ruschmeier-Smith Funeral Home in Milan, MO. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service, starting at 1:00 PM. Burial will follow at the Unionville Cemetery in Unionville, Missouri.