JoAnn Ellen (Lorenz) Pederson was born August 28, 1936, to Emil and Christine (Jensen) Lorenz at the mid-wife home of Mrs. Mimnaugh, in Valley City, ND. Dr. Van Houghten was present. It was well over 100 degrees that day. She passed away March 4, 2025, at the age of 88.
JoAnn lived on a farm north of Oriska, ND and attended St. Bernard’s Catholic Church until she was 10 when she and her dad, mom, and older siblings: Russell, Marjorie, and Marilyn moved to a farm NE of Valley City, ND. She attended various country schools and then stayed home to help her folks with all the chores, inside and outside. She also worked at Mercy Hospital in the baby nursery. She enjoyed being that “extra set of helping hands for anyone who needed them.”
JoAnn married Maurice Allen Pederson on May 14, 1957. They were blessed with two daughters: Maurine (Ron) Tolstad of Bismarck, ND and Christine (Curt) Marshall of Valley City; and very blessed with a granddaughter, Ruby Tolstad presently attending Concordia College in MN.
She was a member of the Hiline Club from 1960-1964 when she joined the Buttercup Homemakers Club. She was part of the first staff for the IMC at St. Catherine of Alexandria School and had the honor of co-chairing one of the St. Catherine of Alexandria Church’s dinners.
JoAnn is survived by her two daughters and sons-in-law; granddaughter; sister, Marilyn Kosse; brother-in-law, Oscar Horner; sister-in-law, Joan Lorenz; nieces, nephews, Godchildren, and “a few” cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Maurice (who passed March 15, 2020); brother, Russell (Joan) Lorenz; sister, Marjorie (Oscar) Horner; and twin siblings (younger than her that only lived about a month) Phillip and Phyllis Lorenz.
JoAnn and Maurice would always say to each other, “I’ll meet you by the river…”
A private funeral Mass was held for JoAnn with a private burial at Hillside Cemetery just outside of Valley City off the road she and Maurice traveled for over 60 years.
Funeral arrangements were handled by the Lerud Mathias Funeral Home in Valley City. An online guestbook is available at www.lerudmathias.com