Joel Polhamus
September 4, 1984 ~ November 4, 2022
Joel David Polhamus, 38, of Mechanicsville passed away Friday, November 4, 2022, at his home in Mechanicsville. Memorial service: 12:00 noon Saturday, November 12, 2022, at Stewart Baxter Funeral and Memorial Services, Mount Vernon. Dawn Stephens will officiate. Visitation: 10:00 - noon, followed by the service at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established in Joel's name and may be directed to the donor's choice. Stewart Baxter Funeral and Memorial Services is assisting the family.
Joel is survived by his father and step-mother, Matthew and Lorraine Polhamus; three brothers, Justin (Danica) Polhamus of Alburnett, Ryan Steinberg of Mechanicsville, Adam (Heather) Bauer of Dubuque; six nephews, Robbie, Ricky, and Randy Bauer, Gunner Steinberg, Cooper and Wyatt Polhamus; one great niece, Olivia Shaw-Bauer; two uncles, Steve (Liz) Anderson, Jeff (Diane) Anderson; two very special friends, Stefanie McLagan and Scott Saul and numerous other relatives and friends.
Joel David Polhamus was born September 4, 1984, in Wayne, Nebraska, the son of Matthew Polhamus and Sheryl Anderson. He grew up in Wayne, Nebraska where he graduated from Wayne High School. Joel later moved to Mechanicsville, Iowa. Joel worked for area ambulances for over 10 years. He was gifted as an EMT, and in IT. His current position was dispatcher. Joel earned a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice. He was born a Husker Fan and he died a Husker Fan. Joel was a former member of the Lisbon Fire Department and Mechanicsville Fire and Ambulance Department. Joel dearly loved being "Dad" to Kyla, Aiden, and Payton Hansen. He also loved spending time with his dog, Bella Jean.
Joel is preceded in death by his mother, Sheryl Anderson; a sister, Marrissa; maternal grandparents; and paternal grandparents.
Please find the full obituary and share your support and memories with Joel's family on his tribute wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries
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We are deeply sorry for your loss ~ Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services – Mount Vernon
Had some great times with you and the family over the years. Keep going forward buddy.
Miss working with you buddy. Had good times in dispatch! We will take it from here!
Joel it was always great working with you. I’ll never forget the laughs and stories we shared. Rest easy, we have it from here.
Rest easy brother, we’ll take it from here.
Gonna miss you buddy. I miss butting heads and then 5 minutes later talking about some metal band nobody else had heard. I always appreciated your strong personality and your willingness to help me get some work done when the time came. I have a lot of customers, but not very many turn into friends like you did. Rest easy, my friend.
What a shock to see your smiling face in the paper this morning! You will be missed. When it came to your IT skills, you were always a man of few words. Those few words were usually “operator error” or “re-boot”… and you were always right. Rest in peace. You’ve earned it.
Praying for you all as you grieve the loss of Joel, a truly special man that will be missed by so many. Sending you love and hugs
You were always so knowledgeable and helpful in my time at Area. Miss our chats in dispatch that we’re always helpful for getting my head clear of a rough call. You will be missed dearly. We got it from here brother.
Dear Polhamus Family,
Sending our Thoughts and Prayers for the loss of your stepson Lorraine.
Jan and Kent James
You are in our thoughts and prayers
We are deeply sorry for your loss. A lot of great memories with Joel and family. Sending our prayers.
We will miss your laugh, your love, your support and your passion for helping each and every one of us. You leave a space that will never be filled.
To friends and family of Joel, May the Grace of God and His peace give your hearts rest and healing through this difficult time.
I have such fond memories of Joel. The biggest was he spent hours talking to my oldest about being an EMT & never tried to get out of the conversation. My thoughts & prayers go out to you all… this red candle one time for your Huskers (Go Hawks)! (had to one last time)
With loving memories of Joel Polhamus,
I have so many memories with Joel. He was always willing to listen if someone wanted to vent, and always had something on hand to make me laugh. We felt his absence right away, and we will continue to feel that for a long time. Joel’s memory will live on because of the kind hearted person he was and because of the numerous people he made an impact on.
Joel,
I am still at a loss for words…I will miss your smile and our morning coffee talks. You always had a way of making everyone laugh and you were always willing to help. Until we meet again!
My favorite Joel quotes “Did you restart it?” “You know I’m from Nebraska”
Joel,
I can’t express how much I am going to miss you and all the office banter we had since our offices were next to each other. I could always count on you for a good laugh from a dumb joke that you would come up with or walking past your office and hearing a metal band playing and then 5 mins. later Britney Spears was blaring. I cant express how much I am going to miss you. Till we meet again buddy!!
I always enjoyed running into you and having random conversations. You always had a hug and a smile for me. You will be missed. Rest in Peace my friend.
Joel…he never stopped talking about how much he loved his family. From his mommas to his dad to his brothers to his children to Bella Jean. The time and energy he put into his career and helping others, I wish he would had put into himself. The way he made others shine, smile and laugh…he needed to do for himself, too. He made this place better. I know he made my days better. I just wish he knew how much he truly was loved by this world. I wish he could see how important he was because he made sure everyone knew they were important and loved. Joel David Polhamus will be truly missed and memories will be kept in our hearts.