Joan M. Burns, 98, peacefully passed away at Casa del Mare Assisted Living in Kenosha on Aug. 11, 2025, traveling to her next vacation in heaven. Amazingly, she passed away at the same location where she was born. Casa Del Mare is on the site of the original St Catherine’s Hospital where she was one of their first births. Joan was born on June 13, 1927, in Kenosha, to Reinhard and Jennie (nee Walczak) Wermeling. She was united in marriage to Gerald “Jerry” Burns on June 11, 1953.
Joan worked at Great Lakes Naval Training Center for eight years before and after getting married. She belonged to St. Mary’s Kansasville Women’s Club, the VFW 7924 Auxiliary, Adventures in Lifelong Learning at Parkside University, and the Harvest Club at Community State Bank. She loved to travel and was always searching for the next perfect moon!
Joan is survived by her daughters, Kathleen Burns of Palatine, Illinois, and Amy (Michael) Kahn of Cedarburg; son, James (Lisa) Burns of Elroy; grandchildren, Feliciana Moreno of Racine, Max Kahn of Madison, and Alea Kahn of Minneapolis; great-grandson, Levi Moreno; son-in-law, Victor Moreno; sister-in-law, Jean Wermeling of Kenosha; and many other relatives and friends.
Joan was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jerry Burns; daughters, Carol Moreno and Susan Burns; granddaughter, Veronica Moreno; and brother, Richard Wermeling.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Sept. 12 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary of the Assumption in Dover. Burial will take place at 2 p.m. at Holy Cross Cemetery in Racine.
The family would like to thank the staff at Casa del Mare and Hospice Alliance for all the help, support, and care they gave to Joan.
Miller-Reesman Funeral Home is assisting the family.
