Joan Warmington

Joan K. Warmington, age 63, of Faribault, passed away Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at her son's home following an extended illness.             Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, December 21, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault. Interment will be at the Calvary Cemetery in Faribault.             Memorial visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home in Faribault on Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. and on Monday for one hour prior to the services at the church.             Joan Kay DeMars, the daughter of Lawrence and Ruby (Sweet) DeMars, was born on September 10, 1946 in Faribault. She graduated from Bethlehem Academy High School. Joan worked for the State of Minnesota for 32 years. During her career she worked diligently to improve the lives of hundreds of individuals with developmental disabilities. The closure of the Faribault Regional Center resulted in Joan being asked to lead DHS into a new direction. That new direction was SOCS and it resulted in 40 residential and day program sites throughout southern Minnesota. She managed SOCS until 1998 and then moved on to another position with DHS until retirement in 2002.             Joan enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren; they were the love of her life. She enjoyed attending all special activities her grandchildren participated in. She was a devoted mother and grandmother and was always available at any time. During her retirement she began quilting, she made a special quilt for all of her children and grandchildren. She also enjoyed gardening, reading, baking, and cooking. She cherished time with her close friends whether it be lunch dates, shopping or sitting and sharing stories.             Joan will be truly missed by all of her family and friends.             She is survived by two children, Jody (Jim) Koberg of Morristown and Corey (Tonia) Warmington of Faribault; four grandchildren, Celina and Evan Clifford, and Madison and Jackson Warmington; brother, Donald (Kathy) DeMars of Faribault; and other relatives and friends.             She was preceded in death by her parents; and grandparents, Victor and Julia DeMars.             Memorials may be directed to the Faribault Area Hospice in Joan's memory. Directions to Divine Mercy Catholic Church: http://divinemercycatholics.org/Directions%20to%20new%20church.jpg Since the church location is new and may not be in GPS map systems, please use: 22685 Albers Ave., Faribault