Joanne died Wednesday, August 25, 2021. A graveside service will be at 10:30 AM Tuesday, August 31 at St. Wilfrid’s Catholic Cemetery in Woonsocket. Burial will be at St. Wilfrid’s Catholic Cemetery in Woonsocket, SD. Visitation will be from 5-7:00 PM Monday, at Bittner Funeral Chapel with a 6:30 PM prayer service. Arrangements by Bittner Funeral Chapel.
Mary Joanne Steichen was born April 9, 1926 to Almar and Allye (Hazen) Bratsberg in Woonsocket, SD.
She graduated from Woonsocket High School in 1944, attended 2 years of college at Carlton College and graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1948. On August 19, 1948, she married Kenneth Steichen in Woonsocket. Joey worked at Sanborn County Bank for 1.5 years.
They moved to their farm near Spencer, SD in December 1954, where they farmed for 57 years and raised 5 children. In 2011, they moved to Mitchell and became members of Holy Family Catholic Church. Joey’s love and devotion of family has been instilled in the hearts of her children and grandchildren to be passed on to future generations. She was a 4-H leader for 19 years, member of St. Peters Church (Farmer, SD), member of the altar society where she held many offices, directed the young parishioners guitar choir, church organist, Red Hats member and taught piano lessons. She enjoyed dancing, reading, traveling, playing cards and recreational gambling.
Joey is survived by two sons: Jim (Jan) of Sunnyvale, CA and Dennis (Shelly) Steichen, of Raleigh, NC; three daughters: Kathy (Neil) Cauley of Excelsior, MN, Polly (Rod) Huber of Alexandria, SD, and Pam Olinger of Sioux Falls, SD; fourteen grandchildren, twenty-one great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband (Kenneth), parents, sister, Phyllis, husband, Tom R. Brisbine, two grandchildren, and one son-in-law, Michael Olinger.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the American Cancer Society.