Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday at Bethany Lutheran Church in Wabasso.

Visitation will be from 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. Monday AT THE CHURCH and will continue one hour prior to services on Tuesday.  Interment is in Bethany Lutheran Cemetery.   Memorials are preferred to the Wabasso Public Library, the Redwood Area Hospital Arthritis Support Group, Cancer Care or the Wabasso Area Senior Citizens.  The Redwood Valley Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

JoAnne was born February 6, 1931 in Hendricks, MN to Roy & Alice (Nyhus) Fitzgerald.  She was baptized and confirmed at Bethany Lutheran Church in Arco.  JoAnne attended school in Arco and Ivanhoe.  She later attained teaching certificates and degrees from Lamberton Teacher Training Department, St. Cloud and Southwest Minnesota State Universities.  On July 25, 1954, JoAnne was united in marriage to Emmett Kratzke at Bethany Lutheran Church in Arco.  JoAnne loved to read, and taught the skills and love of reading to children and adults for over 35 years.  She was a teacher at Wabasso Public Schools.  JoAnne belonged to the Red Hat Granny Readers and the Arthritis Support Group.

JoAnne is survived by her husband Emmett; children: Peter Kratzke of Fargo, ND, Mary Brandt of Mankato, Ruth (Gary) Theroux of Mankato, and Paul (Dawn) Kratzke of Gaylord; grandchildren: Stephanie and Justin Brandt, Rachel (Steve) Kamm and Travis Theroux, and Tyler and Amelia Kratzke; great grandchildren: Thor, Dakota, Alexis and Gavin; sister Mary (Dean) Furgeson of Lynd; sisters in law: Shirley Fitzgerald of Lucan and Shirley Kratzke Zimmer of Redwood Falls; Ricarda (Robbie Struys) Jenniges who was like a daughter to her, and their children Laura and Sven all of Zemst, Belgium; and many other relatives and friends.  She is preceded in death by her parents, brother Jack Fitzgerald, sister in law Janis Johnson, brother in law James Kratzke, mother and father in law Rachel and Lorenz Kratzke, and two nephews Tim Johnson and Jimmy Kratzke.