M. Joan Carr, 82, of Edwardsburg

Published 11:52 am Sunday, June 30, 2013

Born: July 13, 1930

Died: June 28, 2013

M. Joan Carr, 82

EDWARDSBURG — M. Joan Carr, 82, Edwardsburg, passed to her rest on Friday morning, June 28, 2013, at Michiana Health and Rehabilitation Center, in Mishawaka, Ind., after an illness. She was born July 13, 1930 in Edwardsburg, the daughter of Clyde and Mable White. Joan lived in the Edwardsburg area most of her life, other than a brief time in California during her high school years.

Her work life was mostly waitressing. She started at the Cupboard Restaurant in Edwardsburg, then Eddies Restaurant in South Bend, The Holiday Inn, Motts Apple Core and the former Eagle Park Inn on Eagle Lake, where she worked as a server for Mary Wendle. She then fulfilled her dream of owning her own restaurant, The Rustic Inn, in Edwardsburg. There along with her family Sherry, Gordon and the first joy of her life, her granddaughter Gina, she served the Edwardsburg community for over 10 years, serving most everyone at least once. A lot of coffee was served and a lot of B.S. (bologna sandwiches) was discussed amongst the morning crews.

After selling the Rustic Inn in 1988, she cleaned mobile homes for Suburban Homes, in Elkhart, Ind. In 1998, she started a new adventure in her life and that was babysitting for the second joy of her life, her grandson Tyler, and she then became known as “Gaga.”

Joan is survived by her daughter, Sherry Dannenberg of Edwardsburg; her son, Gordon (Renae) Carr, of Las Vegas, Nev.; her granddaughter, Regina Reynolds, and great-grandson Tyler Briggs, both of Edwardsburg. Family who have passed are her husband, William “Bill” Carr; her son-in-law, Steve Dannenberg; her mother, Mabel White Hofert; her father and step-mother, Clyde (June) White; her aunt, Florence and Uncle Lee “Bornie” Foster; and uncles, James and Harold Clemens.

Family and friends may gather Monday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hope United Methodist Church, 69941 Elkhart Rd., Edwardsburg. The funeral service will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. also at the church, where family and friends may gather for one hour before the service. Officiating will be the Rev. Jeff Reese, pastor of the church. Interment will follow at the Edwardsburg Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to either the: Edwardsburg Emergency Fund, P.O. Box 624 Edwardsburg, MI 49112 or the Edwardsburg Historical Museum, P.O. Box 676, Edwardsburg, MI  49112-0676.

Arrangements are by the Paul E. Mayhew Funeral Home, Edwardsburg.