Joan M. Glaus

Coal Valley, Illinois

Joan M. Glaus, 78, of Coal Valley, Illinois, passed away peacefully Tuesday, August 26, 2014, at Avonlea Cottage, Milan, Illinois, after a long and brave battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

Services are 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church, Coal Valley, with The Reverend Robert E. Hagen officiating. Burial is in Coal Valley Cemetery. Visitation is 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Friday at Trimble Funeral Home, Coal Valley. Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, where she was a member, or the Quad-Cities Lyme Disease Network.

The former Joan Marie Baraks was born October 21, 1935, in Moline, Illinois, the daughter of Raymond and Nellie (Maas) Baraks. She was united in marriage to Keith Glaus on February 17, 1952, in the home of her parents in Coal Valley.

She worked at Oak Glen Home and at the University of Illinois Home Extension Service before deciding to stay at home to raise her children. During that time, and for many years thereafter, she was a devoted babysitter to many children.

In 1987, She contracted Lyme Disease and suffered with it for the rest of her life. In 1989, she founded the Quad Cities Lyme Disease Support Group. She gave tirelessly of her time and energies to help comfort others suffering with the disease. She continued to lead the group until her retirement in 1996.

Joan loved to cook and bake for her family, enjoyed reading, and playing scrabble with her mother, Nellie Fuelling-Baraks. She enjoyed picture matting, crocheting, and visiting garage sales on the weekends. She was a member of the Valley Girls, a social group and card club for over 50 years.

Those left to honor her memory include her husband of 62 years, Keith Glaus, of Coal Valley; children, Debra (Gerald) Stahr of Coal Valley, Sandra Glaus-Wall of Vero Beach, Florida, Daniel Glaus of Davenport, Iowa, and Rachel Glaus-Polak (Tom Polak) of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; grandchildren, Andrew (Jennifer) Stahr, Nichol (Chuck) Ashmore, Bobby (Kim) Wall, Chantel (Andrew) Valente, Ryan Wall, Henry Glaus, and Hannah, Luke, Sarah, and Mary Polak; nine great-grandchildren; siblings, Nancy (Roger) Smart of East Moline, Illinois, Fred (Janice) Baraks of Warsaw, Missouri, and David (Georgia) Baraks of Coal Valley; and many nieces and nephews.

Visit Joan's personal tribute page at www.TrimbleFuneralHomes.com to share stories and condolences, send flowers, and light a free candle in her memory.