Joan Helen (Ambrose) Ziegler, 86, of Colby, KS, died Tuesday, February 6, 2024, at Citizens Medical Center, Colby. She was born May 26, 1937, in Grand Island, NE. She loved telling the story of being her parents’ only child born in a hospital. Joan was born to Joseph William and Anna (Marfica) Ambrose. She lived on a farm until 1938, then moved to St. Paul, NE after her father’s death. Her mother married Louie Sintek when she was five years old, and they returned to the farm.
Joan graduated from Farwell High School. She played volleyball and boasted that she had been on a state championship team. She attended Northwest Institute of Medical Technology in Minneapolis, MN, where she earned diplomas in Clinical Laboratory, X-Ray and Electrocardiographic techniques in September of 1957. Following graduation, she moved to Colby and was employed at St. Thomas Hospital.
On May 9, 1959, she married Leonard “Leroy” Ziegler in Farwell, NE. The couple was blessed with five children: Margo, Marla, Marc, Marsha and Marlyn. They are all in agreement that her fried chicken with creamy mashed potatoes was their favorite meal.It was instilled in her as a young girl the drive to always work hard and take pride in all that she did. This showed in her beautiful home and immaculate yard. She used many unique methods to ensure her flower gardens bloomed throughout the summer and fall. Her efforts didn’t just include the front and back yards, but the alley, too. Her portion of the alley was as beautiful as the other areas surrounding her home.
Joan was a devout catholic attending Sacred Heart Church. Most of her adult life she attended daily Holy Mass. She was the first woman to be a Eucharistic Minister in Colby. She took Communion to the homebound after Sunday Mass. On Friday mornings she went to senior living centers, ministered, and gave Communion. She enjoyed memberships within the parish including the Daughters of Isabella and Queen Mary Circle.In 2018, she was honored to accept the Colby Working Woman of the Year Award. She was interviewed by KWCH television out of Wichita and enjoyed the time of being a local celebrity. Joan was also a member of the Colby VFW Auxiliary, Epsilon Chi Sorority, RSVP, and served on the board of the Regional Prevention Center.
Joan was preceded in death by beloved husband, Leroy Ziegler; her parents; sister Katherine Lacy; brothers Donald and Archie Ambrose; brothers-in-law Donald Lacy, Harvey Meyer, Donald Ziegler, and Aloysius Huelsman; and sisters-in-law Marlene Ambrose and Irene Huelsman.
She is survived by her five children, Margo (Brady) Baker, Weston, MO, Marla (Willard) Crumrine, Brewster, KS, Marc (Casy) Ziegler, Bennington, KS, Marsha Ziegler, Wichita, KS and Marlyn (Laurie) Ziegler, Lawrence, KS; eight grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren; sister Irene Meyer; sister-in-law Betty Ambrose; special friend Marj Robben; many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Visitation is 4-6:00 p.m., with a Vigil at 6:00 p.m. Friday, February 9, 2024, at Baalmann Mortuary, Colby. Funeral Mass is 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February 10, 2024, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with burial in the church cemetery. Memorials may be made to Sacred Heart Catholic Church or Thomas County Community Foundation and sent in care of Baalmann Mortuary, PO Box 391, Colby, KS 67701. For information or condolences visit baalmannmortuary.com