Joanne W. Karns made a grand entrance on September 10, 1933, in the streets of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Milo V. and Mary E. Wolrab who didn't make it to the hospital in time. The location was the backseat of a 1933 roadster convertible, with the fire department assisting. Nobody was alarmed. The new family returned to Wayside Farms located a mile south of Mount Vernon, Iowa. A young Joanne, was struck by polio at the ripe age of seven, way before vaccines were cool. She sported a leg brace and turned it into a fashion statement starting a new trend. It was her close companion for two years. Joanne learned to cook on a cookstove fired with wood and corncobs and then an iron range that also used coal. At ten, Joanne unflinchingly assumed the title of 'family chef,' whipping up meals for farmhands and kinfolk because, let's face it, someone had to feed the crew while her folks tended to the fields and livestock. As her skills grew, she acquired a profound curiosity about the effects of food on good health, which led her to pursue an Iowa State University education in home economics, a background she called upon to update treasured family recipes. The essence of each recipe has been preserved through the years in light of changing attitudes toward meal preparation. In her later years she said, 'So much of what we use now has been preprocessed, No longer do we expect to cook everything from 'scratch'.' While acing her studies in home economics and textile clothing at Iowa State University in 1954, Joanne crossed paths with Dean Karns when they were both taking organ lessons from Professor Snodgrass. She developed a great fondness for blowing organ pipes, which led to a life-long passion for organ music. She and her husband Dean promptly tied the knot in January 1955, and honeymooned at the iconic Niagara Falls. Their adventures led them from Rochester, New York, to Shepherdsville, Kentucky, when Dean was inducted into the Army as a chaplain's assistant at Fort Knox. Shortly after arriving Joanne became the University of Kentucky's Home Demonstration Agent in Bullitt County. It was here she discovered fine Kentucky Bourbon. Joanne drove down dry creek beds in her modest 1950 Plymouth station wagon to reach her clients. She affectionately named it 'Lulu Belle.' In Kentucky, Meredith and then Morgan were born. In 1960, the family moved to the bustling hub of Cedar Rapids, where Joanne taught classes on everything from upholstery to chair caning to men's tailoring for the YWCA. She was also a regular judge for 4-H exhibits at the Linn County Fair. The couple then welcomed two more children, Garret and Ris��. In 1972, Joanne unleashed her inner entrepreneur and opened Joanne's Knit Fabrics on 1st Avenue in Cedar Rapids, to share her passion for sewing and textiles. What started as a modest sewing haven soon morphed into Joanne's Fine Fabrics, a treasure trove of woolens, silks, Ultrasuede�� and Pfaff sewing machines. But wait, there's more! While sharing her passion for sewing and textiles Joanne became a guru in flat pattern making, tailoring, and even the fine art of crafting silk flowers from China silk. Move over, Martha Stewart! After fourteen years in business Joanne closed the retail store and became a Realtor�� with Skogman Realty in Cedar Rapids for twenty years beginning in 1987. She also served as a board member (the first woman to do so) with Mount Vernon Bank and Trust, Mount Vernon, Iowa, and in Cedar Rapids the first woman on the Chamber of Commerce. During her retirement from Real Estate, Joanne penned a culinary masterpiece with her son, Meredith, titled Comfort Food and All That Jazz. It only took a very short eighteen years to complete. The cookbook is a blend of family tales and recipes, because apparently, food tastes better when drenched in sentimentality. She was often quoted as saying, 'These make great Christmas presents! and they are available on Amazon!' Joanne also said, 'Of all things I have ever done, my greatest accomplishments are my four children.' Joanne transitioned from this life in the early morning hours of May 12, 2025, following a lengthy stay at the Hiawatha Care Center. She was alert and awake until the very end when her body gently found rest. Before her departure, Joanne expressed deep gratitude for the loving care of the staff at Hiawatha Care Center. Her family invites you to a gathering visitation from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids. On Saturday, June 14, 2025, her life will be celebrated with a service at 2 p.m. followed by a reception also held at the funeral home. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be available via livestream. Please find the livestream link on Joanne's Tribute Wall. Joanne's legacy lives on through her offspring, Dean Karns the love of her life, Meredith Karns, Morgan (Tracy) Karns, Garret (Rose) Karns and Ris�� Karns (Paul) Stokstad; eight grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren, as well as her surviving siblings, Mike (Sandy) Wolrab of Mount Vernon, Iowa, and Vincent (Ardyce) Wolrab of Solon, Iowa, who probably still can't believe the family chef made it this far. Memorials are suggested to Linn Community Food Bank, HACAP, or any organization dedicated to helping with food insecurity in our community.