Joanne Lucille Skog, age 84 of Bay City, died on Wednesday evening, Aug. 23, 2023 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul from injuries sustained in a traumatic accident.
Joanne was born on Dec. 10, 1938, in the township of Trenton, the daughter of LeRoy and Lucille (Boleen) Knudsen. She attended Lindgren Elementary School prior to graduating from Ellsworth High School in the class of 1956. In her class, a cute boy caught her eye. They would begin to date, and soon she would be enamored with him. On May 6, 1961, she would be united in marriage to P. Leland “Lee” Skog at the First Presbyterian Church in Ellsworth. This union would be blessed with two daughters, Joleen and Julie.
Joanne worked in banking for 35 years in Ellsworth. She enjoyed working with the public, talking with her customers, and helping them with their banking needs. Joanne made many friends through her work, and they came to rely on her for her financial expertise. After her retirement, Joanne said that what she missed most was the interaction with her customers.
Joanne was a homemaker and loved caring for her family. She was always there to help guide them with love and wisdom. If she could not find a way to make it to a school or other event, she always wanted to find out how it went. If you were a relative or a friend of the family and stopped by the house, you were usually greeted with the smell of fresh baked bread, cinnamon rolls, pies, or goodies. Earlier in life, they had bountiful gardens in which they would make jam, freeze and can vegetables, or make her delicious tomato sauce. Joanne had a fondness for cats over the years, especially her house cats Mickey Milt and George.
She was a member of the Southeast Ellsworth Homemakers Club and was a gifted seamstress. She made many of the clothes the girls wore, and their dolls never went without cute outfits that she sewed. Joanne enjoyed reading and visiting the local library. Most important, Joanne’s faith was the bedrock of her life. She was a devout member of Bethel Covenant Church in Ellsworth, where she served in numerous capacities over her life. She always kept those in need close to her heart, especially in hard times when she would engage the prayer line for them. Joanne believed in the power of prayer and could be counted on to pray for her family and loved ones.
Joanne will remain in the hearts of her husband of 62 years, Lee; daughters Joleen (David) Sylvester of Mendota Heights, Julie (Corey) O’Neil of Hager City; grandchildren Alicia Sylvester, Taylor O’Neil, Bodee O’Neil; sisters/brothers-in-law Karen Knudsen of Missouri, Evelyn Pearson of River Falls, Ardella Young, Tennessee, John Voth, Arizona; and many nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents; brother Norman Knudsen; brothers/sisters-in-law Donald Pearson, James Young, and Marjorie Voth.
Funeral service for Joanne Skog was held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 29 at Bethel Covenant Church in rural Ellsworth. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation was held 4-7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 28 at Bethel Covenant Church and one hour prior to the service Tuesday afternoon. Funeral services entrusted to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home of Ellsworth, www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com, 715-273-4421
