C. Joan Hilts, 76, of Omaha, NE, passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 17, 2017 at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer. Her funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 22, 2017 at Christ Community Church, 404 S. 108th, Omaha, NE 68154. Visitation on Thursday, September 21, 2017 will be from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Roeder Mortuary 108th Chapel, 2727 N. 108, Omaha, NE 68164. www.kahlerfh.com
Carol Joan Lewis was born on February 25, 1941, in Sioux City, Iowa, the daughter of Charles A. and Meredith M.(Anderson) Lewis. She was the first of four children with siblings, Kay and Kenneth (twins) and brother, Robert (Bob) Lewis. She was raised in Sioux City, married to Terry Hilts and raised her family there. In 1983, she moved to Omaha, NE, and worked for thirty-two years at Nebraska Methodist Hospital and Health System, and at Nebraska Methodist College. She retired in February of 2014, but went back to the college to work on occasion and as needed, until the summer of 2015.
Joan has been a devoted member of Christ Community Church since September of 2001, and made a conscious decision to profess her faith in her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and asked for forgiveness of sin by being re-baptized on September 28, 2003. She has loved praising our Lord as a member of the Christ Community Church choir. She was a former member of the Omaha Chapter of Sweet Adelines, currently, Acappella Omaha,and she has also participated in the Omaha Music Circle. Traveling has also been a joy. She especially loved Siesta Key Beach, FL, and the Gulf Coast of Florida, where she vacationed many times with family and friends. She has enjoyed scrapbooking photos and other memories for family and friends, and researching her family genealogy. On one very special trip, she joined her cousin, Tom Bloxham and his wife, Betsy, along with her brother, Ken, his wife, Pam Lewis, as they traveled to Denmark to see where their great-grandfather and great-grandmother Anderson were born and lived before they came to the United States in the 1800s. It was truly a trip of a lifetime.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Bob.
Joan is survived by her loving family, her son, Mark (Teresa) Hilts of Sioux City, IA; her daughters, Diane (Richard) Nyalka of Rotonda West, FL; and Susan (Mike) Kahler of Dell Rapids, SD; her grandchildren, Matt (Britni) Hilts; Eric (Jen) Hilts; Allison (Vince) Mathis; Jared (Ashley) Brown; Amanda Kahler; Nic Kahler; step-grandchildren, Dan (Nichole) Nyalka; and Renee (Brian) McVey; great-grandchildren, Philip Hilts; Madison Hilts; Ethan Hilts; Aiden Mathis; Simon Hilts; Samuel Hilts; Morgan Nyalka; Jocelyn McVey; Grady Nyalka; Aria Mathis; Jayce Brown; and Colin McVey; her sister, Kay Tabscott of St. Louis, MO; her brother, Ken (Pam) Lewis of Cedar Rapids, IA; and her many special cousins, nieces and nephews and extended special friends and Sisters and Brothers in Christ.