JoAnn Kautz (Young) passed away on October 25, 2026, at the age of 92, having lived an abundant life filled with family and friends. She is together again with many of these family and friends, especially her beloved George “Bud” Kautz, her spouse of 67 years who passed away in 2021. Her family that remains include her three devoted girls, Kathryn Kautz Barrett, Leesa Diane Willming and Janelle Kautz Hegarty. They were blessed these past several years with the opportunity to spend several days each week in JoAnn’s company, taking her wherever she needed to go and providing for all of her needs. They miss her dearly. Feeling the same heartfelt loss are sister Yvonne “Bonnie” Ricklefs, son-in-laws Gene Barrett and Mark Hegarty, grandchildren Kadi (and husband Joe), Michael, Blake and Spencer, great-grandchildren Landon and Luke, and granddog Bo. JoAnn’s family also included parents Arthur and Mary Young, sisters Miriam Kaighin and Emogene Kautz, brothers Eugene, Francis and Arthur, Jr., and son-in-law Bill Willming, all who preceded her in death. JoAnn always put others first and never said a harsh word about anyone.

JoAnn was born on June 27, 1934, and experienced as a youth the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression and WWII. She graduated from Atchison County Community High School, where she was Homecoming Queen and classmates with Bud. JoAnn attended college for a year at Mount St. Scholastica and was a lifelong voracious reader. She also loved flowers and traveling, and her Catholic faith, never missing Mass at St. Joseph’s Parish and sitting with the Lord through Perpetual Adoration. When not taking loving care of her girls, JoAnn worked at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, was part of ZONTA and Atchison’s garden club, and served on the Atchison Hospital Auxiliary Board. Her volunteer work included taking books to the homebound and helping visitors at the Atchison Hospital. In 2018, Bud and JoAnn received an award from the Northeast Kansas Library Association for their service to those they helped.

The Rosary for JoAnn will be held on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 6:00 pm at Becker Dyer-Stanton Funeral Home, 800 Kansas Avenue, Atchison, Kansas. Visitation will follow the Rosary until 8:00 pm. The Funeral Mass for JoAnn will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, October 30, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 705 Spring Garden Street, Atchison, Kansas. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Amberwell Hospital Auxiliary and the Atchison Library, and may be sent in care of the funeral home. Words of comfort for the family may be left at www.beckerdyer.com.