JoAnn C. Nelson, 94, Owatonna
JoAnn C. Nelson passed away peacefully on Monday, September 9, 2024, at Birchwood Cottages in Owatonna, MN.
JoAnn was born on February 7, 1930, in Little Falls, MN, to Nicolai and Marguerite Nelson. She graduated in 1948 from Little Falls High School and went on to nursing school in Cincinnati, OH.
She married Richard C. Nelson in 1953 and the couple moved to Alabama and Georgia while Richard was in the U.S. Army. They moved to Little Falls and then eventually to Owatonna where they opened a John Deere dealership in 1965. They had 6 children over 7 years: Gregory, Mark, Al, Chuck, Deborah, and Becky. JoAnn was busy raising children over the years and was also the bookkeeper and partner in their John Deere dealership.
JoAnn enjoyed her children, and especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and loved taking them all on family vacations. They also spent time at their cabin on Fish Trap Lake and wintered in Scottsdale, AZ. Some of JoAnn’s hobbies included baking, cleaning, and traveling.
JoAnn is survived by her children: Gregory of Owatonna; Mark (Carol) of Florence, AZ; Al (Jolene) of Owatonna; Chuck (Kim) of Owatonna; Deborah (Leonard) of Sahuarita, AZ; and Becky (Daniel) of Mukwonago, WI. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Matt (Megan), Emily (Jeff), Nathan, Christopher, Amy (Tom), Courtney (Dan), Ben and Jacob, along with her 10 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters Phyllis “Sugar” Miller, Marjorie “Cookie” DeRosier, and Nancy Albert.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard (in 2011), and siblings Warren “Petie” Nelson and Karen Foltmer, in addition to her parents and grandparents.
Services will be held Monday, September 16, 2024, at St. John Lutheran Church (1301 Lincoln Ave S, Owatonna) with visitation at 11 AM and funeral services at Noon, with lunch to follow Burial will follow at Freedhem Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to St. John Lutheran Church or Community Pathways of Steele County. JoAnn and family greatly appreciated the care she received at Birchwood Cottages. She enjoyed living there for the past 3 years and had fun interacting with loving staff.