Joan M. Weisenfeld, age 94, of Trenton, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at her home.
Born Joan Margaret Dierkes, on January 24, 1932, she was the daughter of Bernard “Ben” and Agnes (nee Frueke) Dierkes and sister to Marilyn and Bette. She is survived by her children, Tom (Suzanna) Weisenfeld of Lexington, KY, Jan Hoyer of Vancouver, WA, Jody (Rami) Weisenfeld-Ziadeh of Petaluma, CA and Tim (Tina) Weisenfeld of Trenton. She is also survived by her sister, Bette Wehrle of Trenton, her grandchildren Kendra Weisenfeld, Kari (Chris) Votaw, Colin (Joni) Weisenfeld, Jacob (Tayler) Weisenfeld, great-grandchildren, Livi, Parker Jo and Larkyn J Weisenfeld and by many nieces and nephews.
Joan is preceded in death by her parents Ben and Agnes, sister Marilyn Lee, brother-in-law Russell Lee, her parents-in-law Henry and Margaret Weisenfeld, sisters and brothers-in laws, Margaret, Bette, Angie, Mary and Andy Weisenfeld, and her husband Joseph Weisenfeld.
Joan graduated from Trenton Senior High School in 1949 and married Joseph “Joe” Weisenfeld on August 9, 1950. She worked delivering papers for the Trenton Sun and as a pin-spotter at Hank’s Bowling Alley prior to her marriage.
Joan and Joe Weisenfeld were prominent business owners and community members of Trenton and congregants of St. Mary Catholic Church. They owned the Trenton IGA grocery store and Trenton laundromat for many years. Joan owned and operated the Village Shop with her dear friend, Beverly Bowman, and held the position of Sugarcreek Township tax assessor until her retirement at the age of 85. Joan was also an avid gardener and member of the Trenton Garden Club. She also loved to bowl and was captain of the Trenton IGA bowling team, which won many tournaments.
In 1993, Joan was honored with a Certificate of Appreciation for “nursing from your heart” by the administration and staff of Barnes Hospital in St. Louis following the year her husband Joe spent in ICU recovering from Guillan-Barre Syndrome. Joan drove the 70-mile round trip from Trenton to Barnes Hospital every day to help care for Joe. She did everything necessary to help keep Joe alive and comfortable except administer medication. Joan continued to care for Joe for another year of in-hospital rehabilitation until he was able to go home. After that, she took him to physical therapy and to the YMCA in Belleville for rehab.
Joan continued to care for Joe, who never regained his ability to walk unaided, until his death in 2014. She never let Joe’s disability keep them from living life fully. They traveled out west together, Joan manually lifting Joe’s wheel chair in and out of their station wagon at every stop and drove all the way to Oregon to see daughter Jan, stopping along the way at national parks. They went to California to attend daughter Jody and Rami’s wedding and traveled to Arizona and New Mexico to visit friends.
Joan loved to travel and have fun. She played cards and board games and loved spending time at Carlyle Lake and the Sportsman’s Club in Trenton when she was younger. She and Joe visited daughter Jan in Venezuela, twice, enjoyed spending time in Florida with family and friends, and took many vacations all over the United States, to Jamaica and Hawaii. In her 80’s and 90’s, accompanied by family, Joan did a road trip from Portland, OR to Mt. Ranier National Park and took the ferry to Vancouver Island in Canada; she went horseback riding and dune buggy riding in Oregon; she drove down the coast of Oregon and California, visited the redwood forests and took the ferry to San Francisco; she visited Phoenix, Tucson and the Grand Canyon; and she made many trips to see her grandchildren and great grandchildren whom she adored. More than anything, she treasured the time spent with her family and loved ones.
Joan will be remembered as a strong, caring, generous woman with an open heart and a deep commitment to family, community and friends.
Visitation will be on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, from 9:00-11:00 am, followed by a Celebration of Life at 11:00 am, at Moss Funeral Home in Trenton with Deacon Tom Ritzheimer presiding. The Ladies Sodality of St. Mary Church will be hosting a luncheon following the service at St. Mary’s Hall at 218 W. Kentucky Street in Trenton.
Expressions of sympathy can be sent to the family at www.mossfuneralhome.com.
