Joan Marie Fuhrman, age 78, passed away late Wednesday evening, December 30, 2020, in Wichita, Kansas.

Joan was born November 28, 1942, in Wichita, where her father lived temporarily to help make airplanes for the war.  She would be the only child of John and Edna (Brown) Robertson; both graduates of Burr Oak High School in North Central Kansas.

The family lived a brief time in Dodge City before settling in Arkansas City, Kansas, where her father sold farm implements, then real estate. Joan attended elementary and middle schools in Arkansas City and graduated from Arkansas City High School in 1960.  After high school, she attended Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia.  Following in the footsteps of her Mother and Grandfather, she became a teacher.  Joan spent nearly 4 decades helping educate Kansas’ youth.  She briefly taught in a one-room school house; but spent most of her career teaching at the high school level at Courtland and Pike Valley high schools in North Central Kansas. She taught business, computers, photography and journalism. She was also the yearbook sponsor for many years. She received her Masters of Science degree from Fort Hays State University in 1988.

Early in her teaching career, she met Edward Charles Fuhrman, also a teacher, and later a school administrator.  He would become her soulmate and partner in marriage for over 55 years. They were married on June 12, 1965 in Arkansas City. To this union, two children were born: John Edward and Christina Marie. Joan and Ed retired from Kansas Public Schools in 1999.

Joan was active in the community, holding positions at the local and state levels of the Lion’s Club and Friends of Kansas Libraries (FOKL) organizations.  She served as parish secretary at the Church of the Magdalen in Wichita for more than 5 years.  She enjoyed crafts of all kinds, including sewing, knitting, quilting, rosary making and scrapbooking.  Her craft projects won awards at both regional and state fairs.  She enjoyed swimming and spending time with family.

She is survived by her husband Ed; daughter, Chrisi Reif-Fuhrman and husband Levi of Hutchinson, Kansas; son John Fuhrman and wife Dawn of Colwich, Kansas; and five grandchildren: Nicole, Andrea, Lauren, Janell, and Conner Fuhrman.

 Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, January 11, 2021, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Fowler, Kansas.  Friends may call from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the church with the family receiving friends at this time.  Interment will follow the mass in the Fowler Cemetery, Fowler.

The family welcomes memorials to the Friends of Kansas Libraries in care of Fidler-Orme-Bachman Mortuary, Meade.

Personal condolences may be given to the family at www.fidlerormebachmanmortuary.com