Joan C. Willaman

Joan Christine Willaman went to be with the Lord on October 2, 2015. She was born January 17, 1931 in Chicago, Illinois to Henry and Gladys Ronnow. She moved to St. Paul, Minnesota at age 3, graduated from Central High School in 1948, and received a Medical and Legal Secretary degree from Minnesota School of Business. As a medical secretary at St. Lukes Hospital in St. Paul, and an active member of the Macalester Presbyterian Church, she met and married Stafford Gedge in 1951. Stafford and Joan moved to Albany, New York where Stafford obtained his medical degree and Joan worked as a medical secretary at Sterling-Winthrop Research Institute. Staffords medical degree, subsequent residency, and enlistment in the Navy required moves to Rochester, MN, San Diego, CA, Marshfield, WS, and finally back to Rochester, MN. During that period, Joan had five children, Bill, James, Christine, Susan, and Robert. Joan was divorced from Stafford in 1968 and married John H. Willaman on Memorial Day, 1970. Joan and John relocated to Byron, MN in 1981 and started J & J Produce Patch, producing a bounty of apples, pumpkins, and other produce that became a staple of the Byron community. Joans husband John, the love of her life, passed away in April of 2015 at age 89. Joan and John were married for 34 wonderful years. In Joans later years, she fought battles with dementia and Alzheimers and lived at Golden Living Center in Rochester and the Presbyterian Home in St. Paul where she passed away at age 84. Joan is survived by her five children; William Gedge, James Gedge, Christine Richards, Susan Nelson and Robert Gedge as well as both of Johns children Kristin Willaman and Linda Calvert, and her sister and brother, Nancy Cooper and Kris Ronnow.Joan was blessed with 14 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. A service will be held at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home in Rochester on October 24, 2015 at 11:00 AM. In lieu of flowers please consider a memorial to St. Croix Hospice.