JoAnn H. Pulse

At long last - victory is hers. JoAnn Helen Pulse (Wendland) was born November 21, 1940 in Elwood, Nebraska. After living the first 75 years of her life between Arapahoe and Lincoln, Nebraska, she moved to sunny Columbia, South Carolina to enjoy her final four years in retirement. Even in the deepest darkest days of her pain, she never gave in to the cancer that coursed through her body. Mom chose instead to focus on all the things that cancer can’t do: it cannot cripple God’s love, it cannot shatter hope, it cannot corrode faith, it cannot destroy peace, it cannot kill friendships, it cannot shut out the memories of happier healthier times, it cannot silence courage, it cannot invade the soul, it cannot steal eternal life, and it cannot conquer the spirit.

Mom was a friend to all those she met. As young children we would get so impatient when out and about as there seemed to be nowhere we could go that mom didn’t know someone and a lengthy (or perceived lengthy in the eyes of children) conversation always took place. Her kind heart and smile drew people to her and she willingly helped those who needed it however she could. She instilled in us the values of kindness, determination, dependability, loyalty, compassion, motivation, optimism, respect, service to others, strong work ethic and most certainly perseverance among many others.

She lived her life with a zest for adventure. As a child she was fun loving, stubborn and smart, and often told us she was a “daddy’s girl.” She loved school and wanted to be a teacher when she grew up; so, it was a special treat to spend the day with Patricia in her classroom many times reading and working with the kids. As well as all the stories she read, pictures she colored and craft projects she directed with her grandchildren and great grandchildren as the years went on. Throughout her teenage years, she continued to enjoy school, working and spending time with her friends and family. There was never a shortage of love or happiness with all those siblings. They had many wonderful years on the farm before moving to Lincoln. Her and her siblings shared a strong bond that carried them through many hard times, both on the farm in Arapahoe and in Lincoln where they lost their beloved father in 1967 and their beloved mother in 1998. After graduating from Arapahoe High School in 1958, soon after she married Donald Pulse. Their union was blessed with three daughters and her life was never the same.

As the years went on there was much love, happy times, hard times and good times; as well as tragedies, sad times and heartache. Mom held tight to the love of family to share it all and get through it all. She never gave up when things were hard or tough; she persisted in every and all situations. Her intense stubbornness is a “gift” she gave to all of us. There wasn’t anything this woman couldn’t do.

In 1979, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and given six months to live. She received treatments and continued to work and support her three daughters. She never complained of the pain or sickness from these treatments. In 1998, she was diagnosed for the first time with breast cancer. She didn’t tell a soul she was going to the doctor or had been diagnosed until the day of her surgery when she asked her husband if he could give her a ride to the hospital. She would always say, “I don’t want to burden anyone…” Throughout the following years Mom was hospitalized several times for surgery (diverticulitis, small bowl obstructions, rotator cuff replacement, three hip replacements, hand injury, leg injury, and two additional breast cancer reoccurrences which then caused Lymphedema). We used to tease her about being bionic. She did love telling airport security she’d beep if they sent her through the metal detector.

Over the course of her lifetime, she held many jobs. She was a bank teller, a waitress, a bartender, a baker, a receptionist, a secretary and most importantly the best “Ma”, “Grandma”, “G-Ma”, “Gram-Jam”, and “Gigi” we could have ever asked for.

She was blessed to be able to marry her best friend and great love of her life, Donald Hunt. The two of them enjoyed traveling, hosting and attending family gatherings, visiting national monuments, riding to Iowa to see the bridges of Madison County, watching Nebraska football, NASCAR and old movies. They also liked solving the puzzles on Wheel of Fortune and completing word scrambles and crossword puzzles. When Donald passed in 2012, Mom missed him terribly and her life, once again, was never the same.

Throughout her lifetime, she had many hobbies. She loved to sew and it is evident when you look through old photographs at all the clothes she made for her daughters and herself. She loved to match us all! She was an excellent seamstress and in addition to sewing clothing, she made many quilts, and blankets. She was always hemming something for someone, both friends, families and strangers. She made wedding dresses, costumes and various other creations. She loved to do crafts and taught herself to paint when she was 50. She loved to sing, do puzzles, dance and go on road trips! Her love of gardening has been passed to each of her daughters. She lives in the joy and sunshine of each flower we plant.

Momma loved listening and singing hymns…one of her favorite activities after moving to SC was to go to beer and hymns each month. She loved her church family at Living Springs Lutheran Church and enjoyed listening to Pastor Eric preach. She never missed a daily devotional reading from her LARGE PRINT Portals of Prayer.

In 2018, Mom began to lose the use of her left hand and arm. Believing it was a pinched nerve she saw a doctor who was sad to report that she had a massive tumor in her left nerve bundle at the top of her arm. It was the same cancer that had been in her breast and at this time had metastasized at that spot, her lymph nodes and her lungs. Being the trooper and survivor that she always has been she opted to fight this battle. She received 15 radiation treatments and then began a solid year of weekly chemotherapy. The nurses and staff at South Carolina Oncology Associates were always so happy to see her when she came for treatments. They were inspired by her courage, strength and good cheer despite what she was going through. After one year of treatment, she made the decision to discontinue it and enjoy the time she had left without the additional stress of this medication.

The full year she had once she stopped treatments, while painful, was most certainly one of the fullest and happiest years of her life. She saw her granddaughter get married, shared in so many joys with her great grandchildren and her daughters. She never said no when it was time to go…. In this past year, she went to the waterfalls, lavender fields, tea plantation, mountains, bridges, Charleston, Rock Hill, Charlotte, Greenville/Spartanburg, Camden, Newberry and so many places in between. She lived life to the fullest and, despite her pain and the suffering she was going through, she rarely complained. She loved her Hospice nurse, Rachel, who was from Nebraska and always said, “It’s like having a little piece of home here each week.”

In the final weeks before her journey ended Mom was so happy to find out she was going to have yet another great grandbaby. We will meet him in November; however, I’m certain he’s already met his “Gigi.” She loved her family with a passion and found great joy and comfort in spending time with all of us. She knew she was loved and cared for and she will forever live on in our hearts and memories.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Felix P. and Ethel I. Wendland; her brothers, Robert and Leo Wendland and her sister, Martha Wendland as well as her husband, Donald Hunt and nephew, Dennis Bahr. She is survived by her three daughters, Brenda and Mike Burcham of Lincoln, Nebraska, Patricia and Steve Jolly of Columbia, South Carolina and Dawn and Scott Brennan, of Camden, South Carolina; nine grandchildren, Kristina York-Stauffer, Omaha, NE, Ashley Reyes-Medina, Lincoln, NE, Jeffrey Brouwer II, Matthew Brouwer, both of Columbia, SC, Nicole Strilkivsky, Lincoln, NE and Melinda Brouwer, Rock Hill, SC, Hallie, Rian and Kayde Jolly of Columbia, SC; five great grandchildren and one more on the way, Reyna, Noah, Cristian, Audrey, Javi and Baby Eli; three sisters, Pauline Bloch, Seymour, IN, Doris Ravins, Wavery, NE and Glenva Bahr, Lincoln, NE; countless nieces and nephews, as well as great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews.

There will be a limited private celebration of life Friday, June 12th, at 9:30 a.m. on the lawn (weather permitting) at Living Springs Lutheran Church on Hardscrabble and Clemson in Columbia, SC. (Back-up plan will be in Sanctuary - you may bring outdoor chair to use if service is outside and a mask - metal chairs and disposable masks will be available.)

As promised, momma’s final road-trip will be to take her home. We will have a small graveside service at Wyuka Cemetary, 3600 “O” Street, Lincoln, Nebraska on Wednesday, June 17th at 3:00 p.m. followed with a celebration to honor her life at Julia and Dan Jasper’s home.

Memorials can be sent to the family at 49 Beaver Dam Court, Columbia, SC 29223.

“I walk with Jesus all the way.

His guidance never fails me;

Within His wounds I find a stay

When Satan’s pow’r assails me.”

(Lutheran Service Book Hymn 716:5)