Joan LaVonne Hicks

Joan LaVonne Hicks, beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on Monday, September 14, 2026, in Madrid, Iowa. She was born on January 19, 1945, in Perry, Iowa, to Emmitt William and Lucille Oresta (Fazel) Anderson.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home – Perry Chapel, 1721 Park Street, Perry, Iowa. Visitation will be held for one hour prior to the service, beginning at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the family. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.

Joan grew up in the Perry area and graduated from Perry High School in 1963. Shortly after graduation, she married the love of her life, James “Jim” Roger Hicks, on June 1, 1963, in Minburn, Iowa. Together, they built a beautiful life filled with love, laughter, and cherished memories.

Joan devoted more than 40 years of her career to caring for others as a Treatment Worker at the Woodward Resource Center in Woodward before enjoying a well-deserved retirement. Her caring nature extended far beyond her work, as taking care of others was simply part of who Joan was.

Joan was outgoing, friendly, and rarely met a stranger. Her family often joked that she could talk to a light pole and still get a response. She had a smile for everyone and a way of making those around her feel welcome. She loved everything red, collecting roosters, and enjoyed the simple beauty of everything. She also loved living out on the farm with Jim for over 10 years.

In recent years, Madrid became a special place for Joan, and she truly flourished there. She embraced her community and became an active part of life at the Madrid Home, where she proudly served as president of the Resident Council.

Above all else, Joan’s greatest joy was her family. She was incredibly proud of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and it didn’t matter who she was talking to—before long, the conversation would turn to her family. They were the center of her world and the source of some of her greatest happiness.

Joan is survived by her loving children, Annette Adams (Albert) and Roger Hicks (Kristie); grandchildren, Sir Adams (Amber), Cory Adams (Christi), Brannon Adams (Trinity), Kristen Wolfe (Aaron), and Nathan Hicks; great-grandchildren, Abigail Adams (Mulongo), Siranna Adams, Kira Adams, Anastasia Adams, Seraphina Adams, Lilianna Adams, Tommy Adams (Alexis), Izzy Adams, Israel Adams, Ruthie Adams, and Rayna Adams; brother-in-law, Barry Hicks (Patty); sisters-in-law, Shirley Anderson and Carolyn Wachter; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Emmitt and Lucille Anderson; her beloved husband, Jim Hicks; great-great-grandson, Christopher Steven Adams; brother, Harold Anderson; sister, Rose Chambers; brothers-in-law, Lester Hicks and Bruce Hicks; and sisters-in-law, Brenda Brown, Winona “Nonie” Roberts, and Iola Bainer.

Joan will be remembered for her warm smile, her gift for conversation, her caring heart, and, most of all, the tremendous pride and love she had for her family.

Joan’s family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Madrid Home and MercyOne Hospice for the exceptional care they provided to Joan over the last two years. Their kindness, compassion, and dedication gave the family precious additional time with Joan following Jim’s passing, for which they will always be grateful.