Joan Marie Dobbe, 88

Joan Marie Dobbe, née Grant, passed away peacefully at her home, surrounded by loved ones, on March 3, 2025. She was 88.

Joan was born Aug. 16, 1936, to Arthur and Lillian, née Waldo, Grant. She grew up in Iola and graduated from Iola High School. She briefly lived in Milwaukee, where she worked for a telephone company, and looked back fondly on her time there with her girlfriends.

On June 15, 1957, she married the love of her life, Duane Dobbe, and the couple settled in Rosholt, where they raised a family and built a life together. Joan took great joy in being a homemaker, and her green thumb was evident in her large garden, which supplied her pantry with canned goods. She was an excellent cook and baker, known especially for her homemade cheesecake, a staple of every Christmas Eve gathering.

Her passion for cooking led to a long career with the Rosholt School District, where she worked as a cook and made many cherished friends. One of her greatest joys was seeing her grandchildren come through the lunch line each day.

Joan and Duane opened their home to exchange students from Brazil—Lucila, Claudia, and Bia—who remained close to her throughout the years. She had a deep love for travel, which she passed on to her family, taking countless trips, including road trips out West with Duane in their retirement and visits to Glacier and Rocky Mountain national parks with their children and grandchildren. Even in the last five years of her life, she continued to travel, visiting family in Colorado, Washington, California, and New Jersey.

One of her happiest places was the family land up north, a tradition that began when she and Duane honeymooned there in 1957. If a place could embody the heart and soul of a family, this was it. Joan never missed her 5 o’clock happy hour, always ready with a martini and peanuts and never one to turn down an old-fashioned with her kids or grandkids.

She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Bob, Marian, Lois, Lowell, and Ellie.

She is survived by three children, Kristi, née Dobbe, (Clark) Blumke, Karla, née Dobbe, (Mike) Zakrzewski, and Ken Dobbe, all of Rosholt; six grandchildren, Jacob (Nikki) Zakrzewski, Kendra (Joseph) Buchholz, Kyle (Caitlin) Zakrzewski, Cole (Isabella) Kazemba, Haley (Braydin) Resch, and Jordan Dobbe; and 10 great-grandchildren: Theo, Brooklyn and Jace Zakrzewski; Mora and Wren Buchholz; Parker and Grayson Kazemba; Piper and Calloway Zakrzewski; and Arbor Resch.

Joan was the matriarch of her family, a strong, intelligent, kind, and welcoming woman with a sharp sense of humor. To those who met her, she was warm and feisty, always ready to share a story or a laugh. She was proud of each member of her family and never missed an opportunity to brag about them to strangers. In the years after Duane’s passing, she and her family remained inseparable.

In the weeks before her passing, her children and grandchildren surrounded her with love, laughter, and care. Joan’s positive attitude and humor remained infectious until the very end, and her strength and legacy will live on through those who knew and loved her.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to all those who provided love and support in Joan’s final weeks. A memorial and gathering for family and close friends will be planned for later this summer.