Joanne Marlene Talsma

Joanne Marlene (Vis) Talsma passed away Wednesday morning, November 6, at the hospice house in Pipestone, MN, after a long and courageous battle with cancer at the age of 77 years, 9 months.

Joanne was born at home in Murray County on February 9, 1942. Joanne was the daughter of Arie and Jennie (Vos) Vis. She attended Leota Christian School in Leota, MN, and Southwest Christian High School in Edgerton, MN. She graduated in 1960. She worked the summers while in high school as a hired girl for various families, and then worked at Luverne Hospital in Luverne, MN, as a nurse’s aide for three years after graduating from high school. She married John R. Talsma on September 11, 1963 at the Ebenezer Christian Reformed Church, Leota, MN, and worked at Slayton County Hospital for 1 ½ years during their first years of marriage. John and Joanne farmed by Chandler for 1 ½ years until moving to their present farm 3 miles north of Edgerton. Joanne worked as a Certified Nurse’s Aide and then as a Restorative Aide in physical therapy at Edgebrook Care Center for 30 years, caring for and touching the lives of the residents there.

Faith and family were most important to Joanne. She spent each day in prayer for her kids and grandkids. She was part of several different Bible studies and especially enjoyed the fellowship that came along with the study. She enjoyed getting to know the younger people of her church and was part of “Apples of Gold”, which gave her a formal opportunity to nurture younger women. She made special effort to continue nurturing relationships with younger members of her church. 

Joanne loved collecting things, scrapbooking, and making cards. She made special albums for her grandchildren and made many special cards for people to let them know she was thinking of them. She also enjoyed searching for and giving special gifts to others as a way of showing her love for them.  Joanne loved a good party! She was very social and was usually the last to leave. 

There were many summers that John and Joanne opened their homes to different young people. They enjoyed providing not only a place to stay but provided meals, a laundry service, and companionship. Some of the most special summers were when the grandsons stayed. There was a lot of hard work done but also plenty of fun. The imprint of God’s love was put on their grandsons’ hearts with devotions at each meal.

She was preceded in death by an infant sister, her parents, Arie and Jennie Vis, her parents in law, Albert and Ada Talsma, and three brothers-in-law, Bern Walhof, Jerry Gerdes and Jim Vredeveld.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband of 56 years, John, four children, and ten grandchildren. Jerry Talsma of Kadoka, SD, Julie (Randy) Hilarides, Carissa and Jake Groen, Coleton and Jennifer Hilarides all of Modesto, CA, Jodi (Scott) Hulstein, Miranda and Cody Byl, Tristan, Trevin and Tage all of Sioux Center, Iowa; and Jill (Wendell) Schaap, Jaedan, Josiah, Zachariah and Kylie Schaap all of Oak Grove, MN; 8 brothers and sisters, Marge (John) Prins of Modesto, CA, Verla (Duane) Mulder of Renville, MN, Garvin (Bonnie) Vis, Orville (Judy) Vis of Leota, MN, Glady (Les) Mesman of Sioux Falls, SD, Diane (Harlan) Spronk, Arla (Tom) Bouma of Edgerton, MN and Dennis (Lonna) Vis of Leota, MN; two brothers-in-law, Leroy (Wanda) Talsma, Hull, Iowa, David (Grace) Talsma, Chandler. Two sisters-in-law, Janice (Dan) Powell, of Sparta, MI, Irene (Martin) Hoekman, Slayton, MN; Numerous nephews and nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces and one great grandniece.

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