Joan LaVonne Fegert

Joan L. Fegert, age 77, a resident of Battle Lake, died Friday, April 1, 2016, at Lake Region Healthcare in Fergus Falls.

Nearly six years ago, when diagnosed with kidney failure, Joan (Bjerke) Fegert never gave up. A woman of great faith, she never complained, maintaining a brave and cheerful outlook – even through countless days of dialysis, uncountable setbacks related to her illness, an amputated thumb, numerous surgeries, hospitalizations, pain, and many stays at the Broen short-term nursing home. She died at Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls, MN on April 1, 2016, at the age of 77.

Born into a loving, Christian family, the oldest daughter of Clifford and Mildred (Warwick) Bjerke, Joan’s father delivered her at home on February 11, 1939, in Milton, WI. At age five, the Bjerke’s moved to South Dakota, where Joan lived on a farm near Clark, SD, until age ten and then to a farm southwest of Lily, SD, where she attended country school, grew up with her four siblings, and worked the farm alongside of her dad including plowing with a team of Percherons and milking by hand. While Joan enjoyed working alongside her dad, she cherished any time she had a break from the farm labor to ride her treasured horse, Gypsy. Joan excelled in music, studies, and Bible studies. She was a cheerleader for the Lily Wildcats, cheering for her high school sweetheart and eventual husband, Wallace (Wally) Fegert of Lily, SD. Lily High School closed following Joan’s junior year, so she graduated with honors/Valedictorian at Thorpe High School, a country school northeast of Clark, SD.

Upon graduation, Joan moved to Webster, SD to work as a switchboard operator for Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. A year later, Northwestern Bell transferred Joan to its Aberdeen, SD, office, where she worked until she married Wallace on August 21, 1960, in the Lily, SD, Lutheran Church. Wallace and Joan’s marriage of almost fifty-six years was a love story built on faith and family.

Married to a 20-year career Air Force serviceman, Joan made many moves with Wally around the United States. Filled with compassion and interest in others, Joan made friends easily and was an active volunteer. The dynamic Air Force life provided Joan with the opportunity to volunteer for numerous service-related organizations such as a webelo leader, numerous Air Force family services positions, leading Bible studies, and singing in the church choirs and as a soloist. Wally and Joan were instrumental in chartering two Lutheran churches in their Air Force tenure – something that Joan was very proud of. Upon Wally’s retirement from the Air Force, Joan went to work at Enstad-Mann-Baatz realty and insurance office in Fergus Falls, MN, where she worked from 1976 to 1983, quitting in 1983 to focus on family. Wally and Joan moved to Lakota, ND, in 1989 and retired in Battle Lake, MN, in 2004. Throughout their moves, Joan continued to be active in church Bible study, singing, and where available, Joan was a Stephen Minister and Stephen Ministry trainer/leader.

Joan’s number one priority and most favorite job was being mom to Clifford and JoAnn. Joan always said that she was “born to be a mom.” She was a wonderful mom and wife. Joan also was exceptionally artsy and creative and looked forward to inventing creative and unique Christmas décor and inviting the neighborhood for a tour of the “fantasy land” that she created each Christmas with lights, angels, and nativities. Early in her life, Joan’s Grandmother Warwick instilled a deep belief in her guardian angel and Joan collected angels throughout her life. Joan had the voice an angel and most of her life, she blessed us with her melodic singing at church, weddings, funerals and the National Anthem acapella at sporting events – may we always carry with us the memory of her melodic hymns.

Joan was a beautiful woman of faith, with a warm and inviting smile ready for stranger or friend, a heart of gold, a desire to please, a perfectionist to a fault, and a devoted wife and mother.

The family thanks the many caregivers who have compassionately cared for Joan over the past few years, including her primary doctor and support staff at Lake Region Cancer Center, Fresenius Medical Care dialysis center, the Broen Home and Lake Region Hospital. The family also thanks the many friends and family who have taken the time to lift Joan up during her illness and their special neighbors, the Neeses’, for their faithful friendship and support of Wally and Joan.

Memorials to the Lake Region Cancer Center, Fergus Falls, MN ( http://www.lrhc.org ) or First Lutheran Church Building Fund, Battle Lake, MN ( http://blfirstlutheran.org/ ).

Joan was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Baby Thompson; parents, Clifford and Mildred Bjerke; brother, Daniel Bjerke (and his son, Daniel “Goober”); brother-in-law, Bob Miller; and nephew/Godson, William Peterson.

Joan is survived by her devoted husband and caretaker in her later years, Wallace Fegert of Battle Lake; a son, Clifford (Christine Slabik) of Marshall, VA; a daughter, JoAnn (Ron) Thompson of Fergus Falls, MN; sisters, Phyllis (Jerry) Peterson of Polson, MT, and Alice Miller of Sioux Falls, SD; a brother, Philip (Lucy) Bjerke of Fulda, MN; and countless nieces, nephews, and other extended family.

Visitation: 5:00-8:00 PM on Wednesday, April 6, 2016, at the Olson Funeral Home with a prayer service at 7:30 PM. Visitation will resume one hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorial Service: 11:00 AM on Thursday, April 7, 2016, at First Lutheran Church in Battle Lake
Clergy: Reverends Jake Dyrhaug and Magnus “Bud” Peterson
Interment: A private family burial will be held at her daughter and son-in-law’s wooded acres
Funeral Home: Olson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls, MN