Shirley Joan (Sigurdson) Wengler passed away peacefully on December 1, 2019 in Houston, Texas.

Joan was born on August 28, 1932 in Walhalla, North Dakota to Johann "Joe" and Teresa "Tess" (Brown) Sigurdson. She was their only child and a much beloved only child at that.

From an early age, Joan showed an aptitude for making friends and a determination to advocate for the causes she believed in. When her eighth grade teacher was indecisive about holding a Valentine's Day party for the class, she stood up and demanded, "Are you a man or a mouse?," compelling him to make a decision. That incident earned her a phone call from the superintendent to her mortified parents and a story she'd repeat for decades.

Joan attended Central High in Grand Forks and went on to the University of North Dakota, where she pledged Delta Zeta and had a fabulous time. Upon graduating, Joan secured a much coveted job in the Powers department store training program and moved to Minneapolis. She lived at Mabeth Paige Hall, a housing club for single women professionals, until she was kicked out for smoking and/or wearing pants (reports of her insubordination conflicted).

One night in October 1952, Joan was set up on a blind date with a young engineering student named Roman Wengler. They saw "High Noon" and after a (long) courtship, Roman proposed in March 1957. He redeemed himself for the delayed proposal by letting her know that they would be moving to Paris in less than a month for his job with Harza Engineering Company. Thrilled about the adventure, Joan planned their wedding in just three weeks, displaying an efficiency and precision Roman laughed about for years.

While she and Roman were living their glamorous life in Paris, they had their first child Frank. They then moved back to the U.S. and settled down in Illinois. Joan and Roman had three more children, Susan, Joseph and John. While raising the kids, Joan lovingly cared for her dear parents and made time to play quite a few hands of bridge. A long-time parishioner at St. Joseph's church, Joan was absolutely delighted when she won the naming contest for the parish's weekly bulletin with the entry "The Bells of St. Joseph."

In addition to her four amazing children, Joan had three wonderful daughters-in-law, Diana Wengler, Leigh Wengler and Dragana Pilipovic. Although she didn't have any siblings, Joan found sisterhood and solidarity in her four treasured sisters-in-law, Bernadine Altendahl and Betty, Lila and Sandy Wengler. Joan was the delighted Grandma (or GM) to the 11 finest grandchildren, Kayla Wengler, Nevena Pilipovic-Wengler, Nick Thomas, Christine Wengler, Saša Pilipovic-Wengler, Tess Thomas, Katie Wengler, Simon Thomas, Patrick Thomas, Lucas Wengler and Ellie Wengler. She spent hours on the couch visiting with or talking about her grandkids and composing original poems for them, which she called "ditties."

After living in their Wilmette home for 52 years, Joan enjoyed her final chapter in Houston, Texas where she was lovingly cared for by Roman, Frank, Diana and the staff at the Solana Vintage Park. She spent her time sending emails from her iPad, scribbling notes in the corners of notebooks and endlessly discussing her grandchildren. In her last weeks at the hospital, she was still gossiping, dictating ditties and holding hands with her beloved Romie.

Joan had a quick wit and was an expert conversationalist. She loved Dairy Queen sundaes and "Father Brown." Joan was keenly intelligent and curious about the world. She had an incredible memory and could sniff out a secret better than anyone. Above all, Joan was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister-in-law and friend.

Joan is predeceased by her parents, Joe and Tess, her siblings-in-law, Frederick Altendahl and Lila, Francis and Donald Wengler, and her daughter-in-law Leigh. She is survived by her husband, Roman, her children, Frank, Susan, Joseph and John, her daughters-in-law Diana and Dragana, her siblings-in-law, Bernadine, Betty, Robert and Sandy Wengler, her grandchildren, Kayla, Christine, Katie, Nick, Tess, Simon, Patrick, Lucas, Ellie, Nevena and Saša, and her grandson-in-law Rory Hunter.

Always ones to do things their own way, Roman and Joan asked their loved ones to wait until they both passed away to hold any memorials and instead requested a joint celebration of life event at a later date. To share a memory of Joan or send a condolence to her family please visit www.kleinfh.com/obits.