Our beloved mother, Grace “Joan” Herbst, 99, of Huntsville, Alabama, formerly of Dubuque, passed away peacefully on December 5, 2022.

Visitation will be from 4:00 pm until a 6:30 pm prayer service, Sunday, December 11, 2022 at Hoffmann Schneider & Kitchen Funeral Home & Crematory.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Grace Joan will be 10:00 am Monday, December 12, 2022, at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church with Father Brian Dellaert and Father Lyle Wilgenbusch as the Celebrants. Burial will be in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Dubuque.

Joan was born October 22, 1923, the daughter of Grace and Patrick McAleavy. She was 100% Irish. She was raised in Fernandina Beach, FL on Amelia Island where she graduated from St. Joseph Academy in 1941.  She left home when she was 23 to attend The Julliard School of Music in New York City studying piano and then returned to Jacksonville, FL to work as a secretary before accepting a job with the State Department overseas from 1947-1955 serving in Ankara (Turkey), Paris, Vienna, and Washington DC.

She met her husband in Vienna. She married Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth J. Herbst on May 28, 1955 in Linz, Austria.  Thereafter, they resided in Munich (Germany), Baltimore and Frankfurt (Germany).  They retired from Army life in 1962 and moved to Dubuque, where her husband took a dean and teaching job at Wahlert Catholic High School, and they raised their 4 children – Anne, Mike, Patty and Danny.

After Joan’s husband passed away in June of 1985, she moved to Washington, DC to be personal secretary to Iowa Congressman Tom Tauke for 3 years.  Eventually, she returned to her childhood home where she enjoyed her hometown roots and renewing friendships with old friends.  As she aged, she moved to Jacksonville to be near to her daughter and in 2019, Joan moved to Huntsville, AL, where her oldest son resides.  She remained a formidable bridge player, read the Wall Street Journal weekly and did crossword puzzles until shortly before her death.

Grace Joan will be remembered for so many things that made her very special to so many.  She was a classical pianist and practiced her art daily.  Joan was a sensational cook raising her children on exotic recipes from her travels and she taught all of her adult children to make the best Manhattan ever!  She entertained with a flare, filling her teacups with fresh flowers from her garden and setting a beautiful table.  She will always be remembered for making her famous fudge, a tradition she passed on to her children and grands.  The grands loved her to play Frosty the Snowman while they danced around her coffee table and for always sticking a piece of Wrigley’s gum in her notes to them.  She created and patented a game for them called Grandma’s Treasure Hunt.  Her children have fond memories of mom at the piano and dad leading us in song while playing Irish and Military tunes. Her devotion to the Blessed Mother and fervent belief in the right to life of the unborn guided her life choices.  She was loving, kind, outspoken and a grand and classy lady.

She will be greatly missed by those she leaves behind: four children – Anne Bohle (Dan) of Dubuque, Michael Herbst (Vickie) of Huntsville AL, Patty Connolly (Mike) of Jacksonville, FL and Dan Herbst (Sandy) of Landenberg, PA.  She has 12 grandchildren to whom she was so special – Erin Milburn (Mason), Crista Weber (Keith), Nicholas Bohle (Namea), Will Bohle, Caitlin Lozano (Damien), Jacob Herbst (Monique), Amelia Herbst and Savannah Herbst (engaged to Levi), Jim Cooper (Alissa), Kelly Harper (Trey), Leslie Fisette (Jonathan) and Audre Bautista (Gene). She was lovingly known as Grandma Joanie to all 26 of her great grands.

Grace Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her youngest brother John and her sister Pat.

Our families will gather on our beloved beach, Amelia Island, next summer, as we have done for more than 30 years, to celebrate the legacy and love that Joan started.

Rest in peace our precious mother and grandmother – in the loving embrace of our dad and in the silent and brilliant mystery you trusted in for 99 years – God.

Memorials may be given to Dubuque County Right to Life or the Maria House in Dubuque.

A photo tribute can be viewed and condolences sent to the family by visiting Joan’s obituary at www.hskfhcares.com.