WINTERMUTE, JOANN

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Joann Rae Wintermute, 89, passed away on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at Lutheran Living Senior Living.

Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Ss. Mary Mathias Catholic Church. The Reverend Chris Weber will officiate. Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery. Online Condolences: www.wittichfuneralhome.com.

Rosary will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, March 27, 2026, at church. Memorials may be made to the Muscatine Humane Society and Ss. Mary Mathias Catholic Church.

Joann Rae Wintermute, R.N., M.A., was born on May 1, 1936, to Warren and Doris (Garvin) Wintermute. Raised with strong family roots, Joann lived a life guided by dedication, compassion, and faith.

From an early age, Joann felt a calling to nursing. After graduating from Muscatine High School in 1954, she began her career at Mercy Hospital in Davenport, Iowa, and earned her bachelor’s degree from St. Ambrose College in 1958. Over the next four decades, Joann devoted her life to caring for others, serving as a registered nurse in Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago. She spent many years in neurological nursing at Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital and later at the University of Chicago Hospital, where her skill and deep compassion touched countless patients. She brought warmth and dignity into her patients’ lives - bringing hot curlers to style their hair and taking time to paint their nails - small acts of kindness that lifted spirits and made patients feel seen. Known for going above and beyond, Joann believed dignity and kindness were as essential as clinical care.

Joann also contributed to the nursing profession through teaching and scholarship, co-authoring Case Studies in Neurological Nursing, reflecting her commitment to learning and excellence in her field. At a time when opportunities for women in higher education were limited, Joann forged her own path, setting an example for generations of women who followed.

After retiring, Joann returned to Muscatine in 2002. She was a faithful and devoted member of Saints Mary and Mathias Catholic Church and remained true to her faith throughout her life, living it through service, humility, and love for others.

Joann was known for her sense of humor, impeccable style, knowledge of fine jewelry, and love of family. To those who loved her, Joann was truly a gem. She cherished her grandparents, Lila “Mo” and Ray Wintermute, longtime owners of Wintermute’s Ice Cream Parlor, fondly remembered by the community. She also had a lifelong love of dogs and treasured her companions, including her beloved Beauregard and Coco.

Joann is preceded in death by her parents, Warren and Doris Wintermute; her special uncle and aunt, Wayne “Lefty” and Jeanne Garvin; and her cousins, John Robbins, Charles Comfort, and Wayne Comfort. 

She is survived by her cousins Cheryl “Chee Chee” (Richard) Dickinson, Andrew (Connie) Hubble, Charles (JoAnn) Hubble, Jon (Gloria) Hubble, Karen Gores, Patrick (Alejandro Barberena) Garvin, Steven (Cynthia) Garvin, and Timothy (Susan) Garvin.