JoAnn Carol McKinnon

JoAnn Carol Dirks (Oltman) McKinnon

JoAnn began her life’s journey on a stormy spring day on May 20, 1950 in Grundy Center, Iowa and continued to be a proud Iowan for her entire life. She was the daughter of Harold Dirks and Thelma DeBerg Dirks, farmers in Grundy County. Chores were plentiful but there was also play time on the farm.

Joann started and completed her school years at good old Dike high school where she enjoyed recess swinging on the swing, hula hooping and learning the skills of softball in grade school. She then learned to play the tenor sax and was a member of the Bobcat marching band, the jazz band, concert band, high school chorus, girl’s glee club, thespians, and a cheerleader for wrestling, football, and basketball with a graduation award in Business on Senior Day.

She married her high school sweetheart, Richard Oltman, and they lived on a farm near Stout, Iowa prior to her husband being drafted into the Army. She spent a year living in Germany and then moved to Grundy Center. JoAnn was employed by Grundy County Memorial Hospital, Doctors Ehrig and Flory, and Grundy National Bank. In 1984, they moved to Des Moines, Iowa where she held employment with LeFebure the Iowa Clinic, Health South Surgery Center and Lakeview Surgery Center. Two children were welcomed to this union, Sherida Joy (Josh Kuehler) and Matthew Dean.

In 1992 she met and married Larry McKinnon, “a Missourian who was blessed with all of her teasing”. They moved back to Grundy Center in 2002 when they bought and ran Park Place Restaurant for 12 years.

Partial retirement was theirs in 2014, however she was kept busy at AmericInn and Arlington Place with part time work. JoAnn love to “putsy” outdoors with the lawn and perennials garden. When it was raining, she enjoyed reading and a new passion of creating cards of all types. She also found a new hobby of stone, sign, and pallet painting. She called herself “medically retired” due to seven surgeries from 2015 to 2017.

Heaven became her home on June 28, 2024, JoAnn was welcomed home by her grandparents, father, mother, two sons, and a daughter. A celebration of Her Life will be held on Tuesday August 13th 10:30 am at Orchard Hill Church in Grundy Center. 

Those mourning her passing are her husband, children, bonus children; Kristina Kira (Jesse) Pantaleo of Macon, MO, Stephanie Marie (Bryan) Mahoney of Hallsville, MO, grandchildren; Zachary (Cadence) Kuehler of Portland, OR, Ellison Kuehler of Des Moines, IA, Landon (Brook) Mahoney of Columbia, MO, Madison Aldridge and Maverick Pantaleo and a great grandson; Jasper Kuehler. Also, her beloved sister, Marilyn Gerholdt and many nieces, nephews, and extended family who she loved deeply. 

Memorials may be given and will be delivered into a few of Joann’s favorite charities, such as the Wounded Warrior Project and the Living Hope Ministries.