Joanne E. Zirbel

Joanne E. Zirbel, age 82, of Lowell, died on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 after a courageous battle with cancer.

The visitation will be at St. John’s Lutheran Church: Salem Lowell Campus in Lowell on Thursday, November 30, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. until 11:50 a.m. The funeral service will follow on Thursday at 12:00 noon with Rev. David Brandt officiating. Burial will be at Lowell Cemetery.

Joanne Elizabeth was born on April 5, 1941 in West Bend, Wisconsin to George and Sally (Besch) Penoske. She was united in marriage with David “Zip” Zirbel on April 10, 1965 at Salem Ev. Lutheran Church in Lowell. Joanne was a resident of Lowell for many years. She served as the Clerk Treasurer for the village and for sewer and water. Joanne enjoyed being a school bus driver for 42 years for the Dodgeland School District. She was an avid bowler for many years, enjoyed snowmobiling and gardening. Joanne and Zip had a Cabin in Florence County where she enjoyed hunting bear, deer and turkey. Joanne was one of the first women volunteer fire fighters in the nation and was honored by the State Historical Society with a marker placed by the village fire station in 1999.

Joanne is survived by her husband, David of Lowell; children, David (Lynn) Zirbel and Julie (Don) Regan; grandchildren, Dustin (Lisa) Zirbel, Chad (Jenny) Zirbel, Matthew Zirbel, Jessica (Mark) Kohnlein, Dominick Regan (Molly Michels) and Casey Zirbel; great grandchild, David “Riley” Zirbel; sister-in-law, Brenda Penoske; other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; son, Danny Zirbel; brothers, Eugene and Frederick; sister, Sally Miescher; brother-in-law, Fred Miescher; parents-in-law, Norman and Erna Zirbel; and special relatives, Clarence and Arline Bensley.