Joan Haley, age 92 of Sac City, IA, passed away on Friday, May 2, 2025, at Pocahontas Community Hospital in Pocahontas, IA. Joan (Jo) Alberta Dyslin was born on October 22, 1932, to parents Gahlen and Helen (Gerjets) Dyslin. She, along with her three siblings, grew up in Aurelia, IA, and attended school there. Jo graduated from Aurelia High School in 1950. She was a member of the Early Presbyterian Church until it closed and then became a member of the United Methodist Church in Early, IA.
On February 4, 1956, Joan married the love of her life (a gentleman she had met on a double date) Duane Haley. They lived on a farm south of Sac City for a while until settling on a farm west of Sac City where they raised their four children, Dawn, Rhonda, Teresa, and Todd.
Jo worked at a bank in Aurelia after high school and until she got married. She then became a hardworking farm wife who worked diligently alongside Duane, using her gifts in unique ways. She milked cows, drove all the farm equipment which found her in the fields during planting season preparing the ground, combining crops that were ready to harvest in the fall, running the skid loader to scoop manure, along with numerous other jobs around the farm, nothing intimidated her. She especially enjoyed mowing, yard work and gardening which meant from the ground to the table she did it all.
In her free time, Jo did not sit idle, she was kept busy crocheting, making many afghans and prayer shawls over the years for family members and those in need of prayer. She belonged to card clubs and a neighborhood coffee club. She enjoyed working on word searches and putting puzzles together. Playing cards and board games brought out her competitive spirit, anyone who played with her knew she liked to win. Playing Bingo was something she really looked forward to doing every Tuesday. On special occasions she would be given lottery tickets that she loved to scratch, winning was a real bonus. Jo was an amazing cook who always had her family and friends looking forward to her meals knowing they would be great. She could make something incredible out of nothing. Talk about a sweet tooth, Jo had one. Her candy jars were always kept full and every meal served was topped off with dessert, ice cream being one of her favorites. Jo enjoyed her fishing trips with the family, catching anything but fish. She liked watching birds and had many bird feeders at the farm and her apartment.
Her quiet, strong faith rooted in the Lord was evident, as was her love for her family which was her priority. She will be missed dearly by all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her children, Dawn Freese of Omaha, NE, Rhonda (Jerry) Giebelstein of Ames, IA, Teresa (Dave) Stoll of Linn Grove, IA, and Todd Haley of Jolley, IA; twelve grandchildren: Ryan (Jackie) Freese, Megan (Troy) Jeffrey, Barry Giebelstein, AJ Giebelstein, Haley (Ross) Eveland, Annie Ivarson, Adam (Jamie) Stoll, Aubree (Brian) Thole, Natasha Klein, McKenzie (Paul) Jacobson, Matthew (Courtney) Haley, and Kristin (Ryan) Sundblad; thirty-five great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, other extended family and friends.
Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Duane; son-in-law Larry Freese; grandson-in-law Eric Ivarson; parents Gahlen and Helen Dyslin; parents-in-law Walter and Mildred Haley; siblings Verlyn (Elaine) Dyslin, Rozella (Jr) Bruns; Bon (Dick) Martin; and brother-in-law Danny Haley.
