Obituary of JoAnn Fields

JoAnn was born the middle child of her family in Eureka, South Dakota. Her early years were challenging as her father died of a heart attack when she was just ten years old. After high school, she decided to pursue nursing school and moved to Rochester, MN. While there, she met her husband, Don. They married on Nov. 21, 1959. Don worked for the phone company and JoAnn worked as a nurse for the State Hospital and then for Quality Assurance reviewing nursing homes until she retired.

JoAnn suffered from a brain tumor at the age of 51 and underwent a difficult surgery. It took quite a while to recover, but amazingly she recovered fully and lived another 34 years. Those years were a gift!

JoAnn & Don’s lives were filled with many wonderful times including Rochester card club, camping at Wabasha, Lake Pepin, and the Mississippi river. A favorite memory was in 1976 taking the family on a one-month cross-country camping trip. Up north fun was had at the cabin and lake home on Serpent Lake. The last 25 years also included spending winters in Arizona. They loved their “snowbird” years, and their lives were full with wonderful friends and family! They enjoyed 62 years together until Don died in 2021.

Their greatest joy was all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They loved to spend time with them and were always there for them. JoAnn loved to call the great-grandchildren her “rugrats” and she couldn’t wait to see them again!

She is preceded in death by husband Don, sister Jean, brother-in-law Leo, brother John (Vonnie), sister-in-law Becky (Lee), and brother-in-law Ken (Jeannie). Survived by three children: Debbie (Brad), Steve (Julie), Kristi (Scott), six grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.