JoAnne E. Holmstrom, 69, of Strandquist, MN lost her courageous battle after a lengthy illness and died peacefully on Saturday, October 31, 2009 at Northwest Medical Center Merit Care, Thief River Falls.

Funeral service will be at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at Bethesda Lutheran Church in Strandquist, MN with Reverend Curtis Matz officiating. Burial will be Mamrelund Cemetery, Strandquist, MN.

Visitation will be from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at Johnson Funeral Service in Thief River Falls, MN with a 7:00 P.M. Prayer service on Wednesday evening. Visitation will also be one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.

Born on September 14, 1940 at the home of home of her parents Edwin and Elsie (Thompson) Lefrooth near Strandquist, MN, JoAnne loved to help her father work on his farm as a child. After graduating from Strandquist High in 1958, JoAnne moved to St. Paul, where she worked for Remington Rand and Northwest Airlines. While working at Northwest Airlines, she married Dean Holmstrom, also from rural Strandquist, on November 3, 1962. Soon after they moved back to Strandquist to farm and raise their family, sons Darwin Dean and Douglas Allen. JoAnne was baptized at Bethesda Lutheran church at the same time as eldest son Darwin.

When her sons started school, JoAnne returned to work, serving as the secretary at Strandquist Public School for many years, and later working for a number of other companies and organizations, such as the Northwest Regional Interdistrict Council for Handicapped Children in Newfolden, MN. She earned an associates degree from Northland Community College in 1990 and finished her career working for the Northstar News in Karlstad, MN.

JoAnne loved to fish, watch the Minnesota Twins play baseball, knit, play bingo, observe the birds that congregated at the feeders outside her kitchen window, and spend time with her grandchildren. In later years a series of illnesses curtailed her ability to do many of these things, but she still received a great deal of joy from visits with family and friends, and spending time at home with Dean.

Joanne is survived by her husband, Dean Harris Holmstrom of Strandquist, MN; two children, Darwin Dean Holmstrom and his wife Patricia Johnson of Maple Grove, MN and Douglas Allen Holmstrom and Fiance Jennifer Yorks of Farmington, MN; four grandchildren, Parker Douglas Holmstrom of Farmington, MN, Shelby Nicole Holmstom of Farmington, MN, Bruce William (Amber) Toay of Ipswich, SD and Brian Patrick (Kristen) Toay of Fargo, ND; three great grandchildren, Jacob Toay, Alison Toay, and Alex Toay; her mother, Elsie Lefrooth of Karlatd, MN; four brothers and sisters, Vance (Adrienne) Lefrooth of Strandquist, MN, Marcelyn Lindstrom of Osage, MN, Donald (Marlys) Lefrooth of Strandquist, MN and Elaine (David) Grovum of Thief River Falls, MN; sister-in-law, Shirley Lefrooth of Strandquist, MN; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Edwin Lefrooth, brother, Verne Lefrooth; daughter-in-law, Karleen Holmstrom; brother-in-law, Morris Lindstrom; two nieces, Angela Lefrooth and Carol Ann Lefrooth and nephew, Robert Anderson.

Family condolences may be sent at www.johnsonfuneralservice.com

CASKETBEARERS: Kevin Maurstad, Eddie Severson, Greg Lefrooth, Randy Nelson, Jeff Poe and Brian Toay