Joanne Faye Goehle, 89, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at Tuff Memorial Home of Hills, Minnesota.
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills, Minnesota. Burial will follow at the Trinity Cemetery near Steen, Minnesota.
Visitation will be Friday, Oct. 13, from 5-7 p.m., with the family present, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills, Minnesota.
Memorials may be directed to the Goehle family for later designation.
Jurrens Funeral Home of Hills, Minnesota, is in charge of services.
Joanne was born to Edward and Sarah Jons on May 27, 1934, in Bonesteel, South Dakota. She was the oldest of six children. She attended Bonesteel High School where she enjoyed cheer team, glee club, theater and art. After graduating high school in 1952, she continued her education at South Dakota Teacher’s College in Springfield, South Dakota. She then got her first teaching position in Pickstown, South Dakota, which lasted for one year until the completion of the Fort Randall Dam caused the workers and townspeople to move on. While in between jobs, serving as a waitress at the Teepee Café, she was offered a fifth-grade teaching position in Luverne, Minnesota.
During this time she met the love of her life and future husband, Hugo Goehle. They were united in marriage on June 15, 1958, until Hugo’s passing in 1997.
They moved to Hills where they both continued to teach in the Hills and Hills-Beaver Creek school district. She also took some time away from teaching to raise her four children, Michele, Leanne, Brenda and Tom. It was during this time that Joanne owned and operated Goehle Fabrics out of the basement of their home, sewing everything from draperies to men’s suits. In addition to that, she loved arts, crafts, music and entertaining guests for lunch after athletic events. She also headed up bean walking crews for a number of summers.
Joanne was very active in her community and church, and nothing exemplified her servant’s heart more than laundering the athletic teams’ uniforms for 50 years.
As time went on, she was a paraprofessional, as well as serving as the treasurer for the city of Hills and Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Whether it be delivering meals, organizing the Hospice Tree of Lights, helping secure a new addition to the H-BC elementary school, or making Christmas goodies for members of the community, it was evident to see the love of Christ come through her as she served others. She also loved the outdoors, going for walks and gardening.
All of this, however, did not keep her from her passion of following many sports teams, as well as the joy she found in pursuing her children and grandchildren in their various activities.
Joanne is survived by her four children, Michele (Rick) Nester of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Leanne (Steve) Carmany of Clara City, Minnesota, Brenda (Mark) Hadler of Edgerton, Minnesota, and Thomas of Lincoln, Nebraska; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; Michele’s children are Nicole and Patrick. Leanne’s children are Alyssa (Tyler) Leisinger and Ridge, Andrew (Brit) Carmany and Hugo, Elliot (Bailey) Carmany, Allison (Josh) Tuttle. Brenda’s children are Zach (Tracy) Hadler and Oaklee, Otto, Olive, and Odelle, Katie (Andy) Muller and Ava and Hayes, Colby Hadler; siblings, Coreen Hausmann, Kathryn Young, Ed Jons (Cheryl), Marilyn Kathol (Leon); as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was welcomed into her heavenly home not only by her Savior Jesus Christ, but by her husband Hugo, and a host of family and friends. The celebration has begun!