Joanne M. Mills
March 18, 1937 — January 25, 2019
Joanne M. Mills
Mass of Christian Burial 10:30 a.m., February 6, 2019 at Holy Family Catholic Church, Lake Crystal. Interment will be in Holy Family Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m., February 5, at Lake Crystal Mortuary and one hour before service at the church. Memorials may be given to the Alzheimer's Association.
Joanne "Jo" Marie (Brown) Mills was born March 18, 1937 on the family farm near Franklin, MN. She met her future husband, John David Mills while they were both in high school. They graduated together in 1955 and married in 1958. She was very proud of the fact they were the exact same age (to the hour) and their mothers graduated from high school together. They moved to Fairfax, MN where their first child (Robin Marie) was born. In 1963, they then moved to Redwood Falls, MN where Daniel David was born. The next move was in 1968 to Lake Crystal, MN where Curtis Allen was born. Jo said “We aren’t moving any more, three kids are enough!” They have since remained lifelong residents of Lake Crystal.
She worked as a clerk in a grocery store and a variety store before the children arrived. From Robin’s birth until Curt was in high school, she felt her primary job was raising the children. During this time she did part-time seasonal work. She said it was character building for the kids not to have mom home all the time. After Curt was in high school, Jo worked full time in a clothing store, a flower shop, a bookkeeper in a private company, and Minnstar bank. She loved to travel, particularly camping. Over her lifetime she visited every state in the union, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, and the Bahamas. She enjoyed craftwork, including sewing, making greeting cards, reverse glass painting, saw painting, and floral arranging. As a child, Jo never had a doll, so as an adult she gathered more than 100 dolls to an impressive collection.
Jo was devoted to her community donating her time and talents as the treasurer for her church ladies aide, the financial board for Holy Family Catholic Church, volunteer member with AFS (American Field Service), and a member of the board of directors of the Lake Crystal G.R.A.C.E. Thrift Store. After retiring, Jo and John volunteered for Habitat for Humanity helping build 60 homes in 8 states. During the “tax season,” the couple worked as AARP Tax-Aide volunteers for more than 10 years. In her later years, Alzheimer's made inroads into her health. She entered Luther Memorial Home in Madelia when she turned 80. The disease took her on January 25, 2019 after a full and rewarding life.
Joanne "Jo" Marie (Brown) Mills was born March 18, 1937 on the family farm near Franklin, MN. She met her future husband, John David Mills while they were both in high school. They graduated together in 1955 and married in 1958. She was very proud of the fact they were the exact same age (to the hour) and their mothers graduated from high school together. They moved to Fairfax, MN where their first child (Robin Marie) was born. In 1963, they then moved to Redwood Falls, MN where Daniel David was born. The next move was in 1968 to Lake Crystal, MN where Curtis Allen was born. Jo said “We aren’t moving any more, three kids are enough!” They have since remained lifelong residents of Lake Crystal.
She worked as a clerk in a grocery store and a variety store before the children arrived. From Robin’s birth until Curt was in high school, she felt her primary job was raising the children. During this time she did part-time seasonal work. She said it was character building for the kids not to have mom home all the time. After Curt was in high school, Jo worked full time in a clothing store, a flower shop, a bookkeeper in a private company, and Minnstar bank. She loved to travel, particularly camping. Over her lifetime she visited every state in the union, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, and the Bahamas. She enjoyed craftwork, including sewing, making greeting cards, reverse glass painting, saw painting, and floral arranging. As a child, Jo never had a doll, so as an adult she gathered more than 100 dolls to an impressive collection.
Jo was devoted to her community donating her time and talents as the treasurer for her church ladies aide, the financial board for Holy Family Catholic Church, volunteer member with AFS (American Field Service), and a member of the board of directors of the Lake Crystal G.R.A.C.E. Thrift Store. After retiring, Jo and John volunteered for Habitat for Humanity helping build 60 homes in 8 states. During the “tax season,” the couple worked as AARP Tax-Aide volunteers for more than 10 years. In her later years, Alzheimer's made inroads into her health. She entered Luther Memorial Home in Madelia when she turned 80. The disease took her on January 25, 2019 after a full and rewarding life.
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