Joann Aerni

JoAnn Aerni, age 84, of Columbus died peacefully Thursday November 12, 2020 at the Emerald Care Center in Columbus.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Columbus. Visitation is 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. Tuesday also at the church. Burial will be in the Roselawn Memorial Cemetery in Columbus.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to Immanuel Lutheran School or Immanuel Lutheran Church.

The service on Tuesday morning will be broadcast on the McKown Funeral Home Facebook Page.  You can access the Facebook Page by clicking here .

JoAnn Margaret Jostes was born on September 14, 1936 in Lakeville, MN to Joseph and Margaret Jostes. Her father worked, and the family lived, at various farms in the Shelby, NE area as she was growing up, ending up in Columbus. She graduated from Shelby High School in 1954, and waitressed in cafes in Columbus. JoAnn was united in marriage to Robert Aerni in Columbus on December 27, 1958. They were blessed with four children.

JoAnn was a meticulous homemaker, and assisted Bob with the family business, Aerni & Son Well Drilling. She was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Williams School PTA, election day volunteer, and enjoyed attending her children and grandchildren's activities. In later years, she enjoyed road trips, TV westerns, Immanuel Contemporary Services, and Verl and Don announcing high school games on the radio. Her annoying habit of remembering every road and town she had traveled in the entire country earned her the title of "GPS" (Grandma Positioning System). JoAnn's health diminished in the last few years, and she moved to Emerald Care in 2019.

JoAnn is survived by her children:
Mary (Larry) Miksch of Columbus – Adam, Brian, and Drew
Cindy (Sheri Hardwick) Aerni of Phoenix, AZ
Tim Aerni of Columbus
Tom (Noelle) Aerni of Columbus – Doug (Gen) Aerni and Diane (Ryan) Neal
3 great-grandchildren
Sister-in-law: Elaine (Dave) Schurman of Belle Vista, AK
Close friends Ruth, Martha and Betty
Nephews and Nieces

JoAnn was preceded in death by:
Parents
Brother: Bob Jostes of Columbus
Husband: Robert Aerni
Daughter-in-law: Pamela Aerni