JOSEPH JOHN BEALS, 96 , of Cherokee, Iowa, passed away Thursday afternoon, January 9, 2014, at his home in Spring Lake Park.

Joseph John Beals was born to Alexander and Anna Marie (Petrack) Beals on June 24, 1917 in Rock Island, Illinois. He lived most of his childhood in Milwaukee, Wisc. He graduated from high school in Rock Island in 1935. After graduation, he went to work for M.J. Torrance Electric Shop.

Joe married Buertess "Bertie" Lois Worman in Davenport, Iowa on April 25, 1937.

During World War II, he worked at the Rock Island Arsenal. Joe moved his family to Cherokee in December 1945 and opened Beals Motor Rewind, which he owned and operated along with Bertie until May 1999.

He loved archaeology. He and his wife, Bertie dug many sites around Cherokee County. He was a member of The Northwest Iowa Archaeological Society (1951), The Iowa Archaeological Society, one of the founding members of the Cherokee County Archives, Board member of the Jackson Technical School in Jackson, MN and a member of the board of directors for the Sanford Museum until his death. Joe loved to travel east to do research for his family genealogy and also loved going out to the Black Hills in South Dakota to roam around and find abandoned gold mines.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two daughters in infancy: Sandra Jean and Linda Grace, a brother: William H. Beals Sr., a nephew: Keith Beals, and a niece: Karen Beals.

Joe is survived by his loving and devoted wife Bertie of 76 years, a son: Joseph Karl (Sandi) Beals of Cherokee, Iowa, a daughter, 5 grandchildren: a special granddaughter and husband: Sandy & Bob Kirchner of Cherokee, Craig (Chris) Wahlstrom of Sioux City, Linda (Jeff) Ducommun of Larrabee, Karla (Brandon) Frehse of Everly, Joe William Beals of Colorado, a sister-in-law, Lea Buenger of Preston, MN, 3 step grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren, nephews: William H. Beals, Chicago, Ill., Kurt Beals of Olathe, KS and nieces: Margo Beals of Kansas City, KS and Kathy Ingram of Elkhorn, WI.

There will be a memorial service conducted by longtime friend, Pastor Bruce Rapp of Aurelia at the Spring Lake Yacht Club in Cherokee on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. with a lunch to follow. The Boothby Funeral Home in Cherokee is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.boothbyfuneral.com

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Alzheimers Foundation of
America.