Joan Johnson 09/05/2024

Joan Lee Johnson
Born: June 23, 1949
Baptized: July 24, 1949
Married: April 4, 1986
Died: September 5, 2024

In thinking about Joan’s life there are many themes – love, light, and devotion are three that are woven through the journey of her life.

Joan was born Joan Lee Smith on June 23, 1949 in St. Paul, Mn. On September 5, 2024 she peacefully passed away with her family by her side after a battle with ALS.

Growing up in West St. Paul, the neighborhood was a special one. The Smiths had two children, Joan, and her brother Carl. Joan loved being a big sister. Often saying about Carl “he’s the best!” The family was special in that within a four-block radius you could find the entire family as well as their church. If you needed anything you could just run between the houses a couple of blocks and be with aunts, uncles, and grandparents. There also are tales of the kids growing up together with special nicknames and games. It was one of community and laughter and many of those tales live on to this day.

St. James Lutheran Church was a cornerstone for Joan and the family. From the Pioneer Girls to Sunday school to serving meals to singing in the choir, being active in the church and her faith was always a key part of Joan’s life.

Summers growing up were spent at “the lake”. The family cabin was built on Lake Wapogasset in Western Wisconsin and was a gathering spot for the family and neighbors. The stories from “the lake” are legendary as are the cousin parties and all the adventures that happened both in and out of the water. Roller skating was the thing back in the day and she enjoyed hanging with her friends at the rink in Duranda.
In 1967, she graduated from Sibley High School. During high school Joan was active in the Carillion Singers, the German Club, and the Keenaydin (yearbook). She had many friends, many who described her as “the sweetest”. She enjoyed time not only in school, but outside of school with them.

On New Year’s Eve 1968, Joan became a mother and welcomed a beautiful daughter Kellie Kay into her world. Two years later a son, William (Bill) Charles, named after her grandfather, joined the growing family. It took a few years, but in the March blizzard of 1979, Sarah Louise rounded out the family.

In 1986, Joan married the love of her life – Tom. In their 40 years together, 38 married, they had countless adventures. As kids, we knew they had met during her time working at St. Croix Press, but what we didn’t know was she had a little crocheted frog that had a Hershey’s kiss in it…we still don’t know the full story, but we are thankful that Tom asked her out and the rest has been a life full of family, great memories, and fun adventures.

Those adventures included travel to their beloved Madeline Island and Bayfield. Many summers were spent on “The Island”. We worked hard those summers building “the Shed” and helping with the church Bazarre sale, but it was also a time for family and fun – from cribbage games to countless fires to trying to get us to dunk our heads in that cold Lake Superior water – there are stories we can tell for hours.

As her kids grew up, Joan spent much of her time at the schools and attended many sporting events. She loved watching and cheering from the stands for all the football, basketball, baseball games. Even after all three kids graduated, she still loved to cheer for the teams and was so proud when Bill became one of the baseball coaches in New Richmond.

She lived by the idea that if you’re not willing to do something about it, you don’t have the right to complain about it. In her younger years, this took form when she was elected Justice of the Peace in St. Charles, MN. In 1990, she found the calling again and ran for the New Richmond School Board. She served on the school board for 10 years. During her tenure she was a true advocate for what was right. By listening, having the difficult conversations, and following through on her word, she built trust and respect from all she worked with. She worked tirelessly to make sure the school district was one we could be proud of.

As the family grew, she devoted time to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. From attending dance recitals to cooking with them to supporting them in their goals and dreams, Grandma Joan was always up for an adventure or to just sit and listen.

There never seemed to be anything Joan couldn’t do. She held so many interests, many stemming from her childhood.

Continuing the legacy of her grandmother, Joan was a master seamstress and creative mastermind behind so many projects. From making skydiving jump suits for her brother and sister-in-law Tina, to making Barbie and Cabbage Patch clothing for her girls, to later taking her talent to the world of furniture, Joan definitely had a gift for creating beauty in this world. There wasn’t any project or idea that she couldn’t figure out!

As a little girl, her family always gathered with cards in hand. It is well known that her first words were “mommy”, “daddy”, and “cut the cards.” Needless to say, from that young girl she continued her love of winning throughout her entire life and she passed the zest of winning to the next generation – the Pahr spirit will live on! There is nothing better than that thrill of winning a hand of cards or a game of dominoes can bring!

Throughout all the years, she and Tom gave so much of their time to First Lutheran Church in New Richmond. Including her time with the altar guild, quilting, small groups, serving at funeral services, and even spending her Tuesdays helping in the office! Her faith and their community were especially an integral part of their lives in the past year.

It’s safe to say we all have a version of Joan that we hold dear to our hearts. Titles of wife, sister, mom, aunt, grandma, friend…we could fill a book with all the great memories and stories. She gave so much of herself to so many and even at the end she did it all with grace and a smile.

A Funeral Service was held on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 11 am at First Lutheran Church 218 County Road K New Richmond, WI.  Visitation was held on Monday, September 9, 2024 from 4-8 pm at Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services 728 S Knowles Avenue New Richmond and on Tuesday from 10-11 am at the church.  Interment was in Calvary Cemetery in Deer Park, WI.  Arrangements are with Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services.

Click here to watch the recording of Joan’s service