Joan Marlene Karner, 87, passed from death to life on November 29, 2024. Joan accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior as a young girl. The family rejoices and takes comfort in the knowledge that Joan is alive in Heaven, her home eternal.
Joan was born August 10, 1937 to Palmer and Alice Egeland. She grew up in Chicago and then Park Ridge, Illinois with her brother Bruce and her sisters, Julie and Jan. Joan graduated from Wheaton College where she met her future husband, Frank. Frank and Joan were married in March 1958.
In the fall of 1962, Frank and Joan moved to Grand Forks. Joan was a homemaker and taught piano lessons while Frank was a Geology Professor at the University of North Dakota. They were blessed with four daughters and one son. The family was very involved in Faith Evangelical Free Church from its beginning in 1963. Joan was the church organist for over 40 years and ran “Donut Time” for decades. She was involved in countless church activities, events and committees. Most recently, Joan could still be found during Sunday morning church service at the end of the second pew that her family occupied on Sundays for almost 50 years.
Joan loved music and was an excellent pianist. She began giving piano lessons as a 6th grader and continued teaching into her seventies. She performed in many musical events and recitals over the years and played for countless weddings, funerals and special events in Grand Forks. Joan loved entertaining and often spent Sunday after church gathering people to come over for dinner as the food was prepared but the dining chairs were not yet full. She loved socializing and was an active member for years in Faculty Wives, Dames Club and the Thursday Music Club.
Joan is survived by her twin sisters, Julie Gladstone and Jan Cronin, her children, Kathy (Scott) Bourret of Palm City, FL; Deb (Tom) Piche of East Grand Forks, MN; Sandy (Kelly) Baranick of Lino Lakes, MN; Judy (Kevin) Rue of Rochert, MN; Jim (Kris) Karner of Salt Lake City, UT; 15 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, brother and her husband, Frank.
The funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at Faith Evangelical Free Church in Grand Forks. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service. Interment will be in Memorial Park South Cemetery. To view the livestream of the funeral service please visit https://youtube.com/live/2-LrjNRyT00?feature=share
Arrangements are with Amundson Funeral Home, Grand Forks, ND.