Joanne Christensen, age 67, of Yankton, South Dakota died Sunday, January 8, 2017 at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital in Yankton.

Funeral services are 4:00 PM, on Friday, January 13, 2017 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Yankton with Rev. David Wildermuth and Rev. Jeff Otterman officiating. After the service, a reception will be held in honor of Joanne at Minerva's in Yankton from 5:30 to 8:30 PM on Friday evening. Visitation is from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, on Thursday, January 12 at the Wintz & Ray Funeral Home in Yankton with a prayer service at 7:00 PM. Burial will be at the Aeneas Cemetery in Hoffman, Minnesota at a later date.

Pallbearers are Lee Lindquist, Ron Johnson, Wayne Johnson, Kyle Repp, Gregg Stewart and Tom Stotz.

Joanne was born March 8, 1949 in Morris, MN to Evald and Harriet (Setterlund) Stark. She was baptized on April 19, 1949 and lived on a farm in rural Hoffman, MN until moving to Morris, MN in the fifth grade. Joanne was confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Peace Lutheran Church in 1964 and graduated from Morris High School in 1967. She received a degree in interior design from Alexandria Technical College in 1969 and worked at JC Penney in downtown Sioux Falls, SD. Joanne also traveled and did quality control work for Penney's throughout the upper Midwest and Alaska. On June 24, 1972, Joanne married Randy Christensen. After their marriage, they worked as live-in counselors at Valley View Center for Youth Development for Lutheran Social Services Center for Adolescents. In 1975, she worked as a rehabilitation teacher at Redfield State Hospital and School for one year, and then the Human Services Center in Yankton. They welcomed their first son, Matt in 1978 and then Paul in 1980. Joanne contracted rheumatoid arthritis in 1980. They lived in Aberdeen, SD from 1986 to 1991 and Joanne was selected as the Volunteer of the Year. In 1991, they moved to Yankton and she began working at Trinity Lutheran Church in August of 1993 as the Coordinator of Volunteer and Outreach Ministries. Joanne was very concerned and aware of environmental issues and recycling was a daily part of her life. She was a board member of the Yankton Women's and Children's Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, and various committees and leadership roles at Trinity Lutheran Church, especially those involving women's interests and mission outreach, both locally and worldwide. Joanne was very active in Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for many years and past president of Yankton's Sons of Norway. She enjoyed learning about her Swedish ancestry, learning new recipes and dressing in traditional Swedish costumes. Joanne was a woman of great faith and kindness and gave of her heart and abilities to all whom she could help. She was nominated as a Comunity Distinguised Person of Yankton. Joanne loved her family and treasured her grandchildren. She was proud of her children and the parents they have become.

Grateful and blessed for sharing her life are her devoted husband, Randy Christensen of Yankton; two sons, Matt (Amber) Christensen of Brandon, SD and Paul Christensen of Omaha, NE; three grandchildren: Lily, Peter and Summer; sister, Catherine (Jim) Carlson of White Bear Lake, MN; two nephews: Kurt (Stacy) Carlson of Blaine, MN and Tom (Jill) Carlson of Ham Lake, MN; and many cousins and friends.

In lieu of flowers, Joanne would prefer memorials to be donated to the Yankton Women's Shelter, PO Box 626 in Yankton or the Helping Hands Fund at Trinity Lutheran Church, 403 Broadway in Yankton.

- Wintz & Ray Funeral Home