Joan M. Blair 78 of Mc Cook Lake, South Dakota passed away Wednesday July 16, 2014 at her residence. Services will be 10:00 A.M. Monday at Riverside Lutheran Church in Sioux City with Rev. Tim Squier officiating. Graveside services will be 1:30 P.M. Monday in Green Valley Cemetery, rural Homer, Nebraska. Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. Sunday at the church with a prayer service at 7:00 P.M. Becker – Hunt Funeral Home in South Sioux City is in charge of arrangements. Joan Margaret Blair was born May 27, 1936, in Homer, Nebraska the daughter of Alfred W. and Margaret (Rasmussen) Pedersen. She graduated from Homer High School and received her teaching certificate from Wayne State College. She taught in rural country schools for six years. She married Dennis Blair May 19, 1957 in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Homer, Nebraska. She was employed as nurse’s aide in the Pender Hospital, Green Acres Nursing Home in South Sioux City, and retired from Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City. She was a member of Riverside Lutheran Church and a former Sunday School Teacher and the Thurston American Legion Auxiliary. Survivors include a son Douglas Blair of McCook Lake, SD, four daughters: Julie “Blair” Cadwallader of Omaha, Janet and her husband Greg Finzen of Dakota Dunes, SD, Joyce and her husband Greg Backman of Freemont, NE, Jodie and her husband Greg Salmon of Lake City, MN, a brother Wayne and his wife Cindie Pedersen of Dakota Dunes, SD, a sister Glenda and her husband Lloyd Carstensen of Sioux City, eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Dennis, February 10, 2004 and a grandson Nick Irvine. Pallbearers will be Chase and Jarrod Backman, Andrew Finzen, Clint Cadwallader, Kyle Gillispie, Greg Gill and Mitchell Saxen.