JoAnne (Josephine Ann) Sevigny, age 85 of Oakwood, ND passed away on Sunday, October 20, 2024, at the Lutheran Sunset Home in Grafton.
JoAnne was born March 7, 1939, to the late Charles and Beaty (Spale) Karnik at Veseleyville, ND. She attended a country school and while growing up helped her parents on the farm.
JoAnne was united in marriage to Orell Sevigny on June 16, 1959, at St. Luke’s Catholic Church at Veseleyville, ND. They made their home on the family farm near Oakwood, ND. JoAnne worked as a Secretary at Associated Potato Growers for several years and later helped her husband farm and raised her family.
JoAnne was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Oakwood, ND and Oakwood Altar Society and served several offices and was on the parish council. She taught religious education for many years. She was also a member of the Grafton American Legion Auxiliary and the Catholic Workmen KD of Veseleyville. She was also a Girl Scout leader.
JoAnne enjoyed playing pinochle and spending time with her grandchildren and taking care of them. She loved attending their school and sporting events, musicals, dance and piano recitals, and Tae Kwon Do. She enjoyed baking, gardening, canning, and freezing the produce from her garden.
She and her husband Orell loved dancing, and they belonged to a square dance club in Grafton and later the POLKA Club of America. They also enjoyed camping and traveling, and they traveled to most of the states including Alaska and Hawaii. They visited many destinations while cruising including the Panama Canal and Cancun. They enjoyed classic country music, and together they sailed on many country music cruises.
JoAnne is survived by daughters, Stacy (Rob) Proffer of Baxter, MN, Roxann (Brian) Hanson of Fargo, ND, and son Edward (Stacie) Sevigny of Grafton, ND; five grandchildren, Abram and Gavin Sevigny and Ethan, Emma, and Aubrey Hanson; sister-in-law Flora (Oliver) Pilon of Grafton; several nieces and nephews; and two Godchildren, Gene (Kathy) Demers and Connie Demers.
JoAnne was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Orell, sisters-in-law Rosalie (Roland) Lessard and Alma (Louis) Collette; brothers-in-law Victorien Sevigny, Eugene (Jean) Sevigny, and Daniel (Louise) Sevigny, and a nephew Brian (Deanne) Pilon.
Mass of Chistian Burial will be held Friday, October 25, 2024, at 2:00 P.M. at St. John’s Catholic Church of Grafton. Visitation will be Thursday, October 24, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. with a Rosary service at 7:00 P.M. at Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton and for one hour at the church prior to the time of the service. Interment will be at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery at Oakwood.
Memorials may be made to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Oakwood operating cemetery fund.
Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton is in charge of the arrangements.