Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 271767
Title: Joan Meyer
Date: 10/20/1934-8/7/2025
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 10/20/1934
Summary: Joan Meyer, 90, of Gladstone, ND, passed away on August 7, 2025, at St. Benedict’s Health in Dickinson, ND. A funeral Mass was held August 16, 2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Dickinson, with Fr. Thomas Wordekemper celebrating. Burial was in St. Thomas Cemetery in Gladstone. Joan was born on October 20, 1934, on a farm near Manning, ND, the daughter of Peter and Rose (Hammel) Fischer. She attended country school through the 8th grade and later graduated from St. Leo’s High School in Minot. After graduation, Joan worked for NW Bell Telephone Company in Bismarck. On December 27, 1956, Joan married Paul Meyer at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Killdeer, ND. Together, they began their married life on a dairy farm, where Joan embraced the work of farming, raising chickens, and caring for her growing family. Paul and Joan were blessed with twelve children, whom they raised in a faith-filled Catholic home. In 1971, they moved to their hobby farm at Gladstone, where they raised cattle, horses, and more chickens—while continuing to cultivate abundant gardens. Joan had a gift for growing things. Each year, she started her own tomato and pepper plants, always planting more than enough to share with family and friends. She welcomed visitors with a warm smile, a hearty meal, and, more often than not, her famous caramel rolls, fresh bread with spinach dip, or homemade chokecherry syrup. She became known for sending her caramel rolls along with her sons to wrestling tournaments so the entire team could enjoy them. No guest ever left empty-handed—there was always a batch in the freezer ready to send home. Her hands told the story of a life of care and creativity, from pulling strudel dough to stitching her grandmother’s garden quilts with extra love. As her children grew and left home, Joan enjoyed rummaging for hidden treasures to pass along to loved ones. She tended her flower gardens with the same devotion she gave her vegetables, bringing fresh bouquets to Mass each weekend to place on the altar. And when she wasn’t in the garden or the kitchen, she could often be found playing a friendly game of Skip-Bo or a fierce game of pinochle. A sharp, competitive player, Joan played to win—and never pretended to enjoy losing. Joan leaves behind a legacy of love, hard work, and faith. Her family was her greatest joy, and she especially cherished time spent with her grandchildren—who will always think of her when they see a fanny pack full of quarters, a rummage sale treasure that Grandma might not think was quite worth the price tag, a decorative rooster, tea parties, golf cart rides, or a cob of fresh sweet corn at farmers market. She was a proud member of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Gladstone, the KCettes, and the Catholic Daughters of America. Joan is survived by her children: Jacqueline (Florian) Friedt of Dickinson, Dennis (Linda) of Dickinson, Timothy (Kathy) of Richardton, Chad (Tammy) of Dickinson, Margaret (Robert) Subart of Robinson, Patrick (Tina) of Gladstone, Theodore (Kayla) of Dickinson, Linda (Daniel) Wendel of Buffalo, Joel (Joyal) of Bismarck, Shawn (Desiree) of Fallon, NV, and Mathew (Duffy) of Dickinson; 42 grandchildren; 48 great-grandchildren, with two more on the way; brother, Bob Fischer of Butte, MT. She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Rose Fischer; her husband, Paul; her daughter, Paula Joan; siblings Frances (Albert) Schollmeyer, Joe (Marge) Fischer, Tom (Priscilla) Fischer, Lawrence (Angeline) Fischer, Harold (Nettie) Fischer, Raymond Fischer, Mary (Jeff) Watkins, Dorothy (Don) Magelky, Tillie (Jerry) Medlock, Jim (Jean) Fischer, Ted (Ilene) Fischer; and sister-in-law, Lois Fischer.
Red ID: FND_I_79262 Image ID: 537178 Image Notes: FND001 271767

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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