JoAnn Veenstra Boot was born August 29, 1937, to John and Ella (Vander Molen) Veenstra in her parents’ home west of Peoria. A highlight of her childhood was riding her pony to school with Alenna (Nieuwsma) Jansen. After graduation JoAnn worked cleaning houses and helping families with newborn babies.

On November 29, 1956, JoAnn was united in marriage to Carroll Boot at the Second Christian Reformed Church in Pella. They were blessed with four children: Eileen, Candace, Craig, and Glenda.

JoAnn was a devoted mother. She instilled lasting life lessons in her children such as: work hard together, and then we’ll play together. She had a large garden and canned and pickled all it produced. JoAnn had a beautiful soprano voice and often sang or hummed hymns. She sang “Sunday School” songs with her children in the car. JoAnn loved to bake. Her specialty was Dutch letters. They were served at all special occasions including all her grandchildrens’ graduations and weddings.

JoAnn sold Avon for nearly 30 years and enjoyed visiting with her customers. She also started cleaning homes again for many years. In 1987 she started working for Heritage Lace, the same year they moved to Pella. She was still employed with them when she had a stroke while dropping off her lace on March 19, 2018.

JoAnn was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great grandmother who delighted in sitting back and watching her family. JoAnn and Carroll had many dear friends who they enjoyed being with at various events or just visiting. They enjoyed southern gospel music. On most Saturday evenings in the summer, they travelled to the Rathbun Lake area to listen to some of their favorite singers.

After JoAnn and Alenna were both widowed they spent Sunday evenings together. They would watch church and then play games. Their life-long friendship was a blessing!

JoAnn’s Family: Eileen (Matt) Young - Kingsley, Iowa

Scott (Alaina) Young

Matthew (Whitney) Young

Maddie, Millie, Tanner, Westyn

Daniel Young

Candace Boot - Pella, Iowa

Ryan De Jong 

Charley, Preston, Avery, Lennon 

Christopher (Tiffany) Rus 

Maddy (Joey)

Ella

Craig (Kris) Boot - Pella, Iowa 

Jessica (Jeff) Davis 

Jaelynn

Kodie

Jayse

Jaren

Jacob Boot 

Sydney (Garrett) Griggs

Glenda (Brian) Van Kooten - Pella, Iowa 

Stephanie (Brad) Rozendaal 

Ashton, Owen 

Trisha (Jeremy) Vander Molen

Kylie, Bailey, Carson

Brent (Lisa) Van Kooten

Olivia, Allison, Max

She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law Wilbur J. (Betty Lou) Boot of Hendersonville, North Carolina, her dear friend of more than 80 years Alenna Jansen, and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding JoAnn in death was her husband Carroll Boot, parents John and Ella Veenstra, parents-in-law Clarence and Anna Boot, siblings: Wilbur and Sarah Mae Veenstra, Greda and Art Uitermarkt, Ray and Virginia Veenstra, and Carroll’s sisters-in-law: Dorothy Boot and Reggie Boot. 

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Hospice of Pella.