Joan Kay Patrick

Joan Kay Patrick passed away at the age of 72 at her home in Fairmount, ND on October 7th, 2026. A visitation will be held at Vertin-Munson on Friday, October 16th from 5 pm to 7 pm. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 17th at 2:00 pm at Vertin-Munson Funeral Home in Wahpeton, ND. Burial will follow at Fairmount Cemetery.

Born on November 1st, 1953 to Henry and Florence (Bontjes) Hansen. Joan was the third of five children. She was raised on her family farm near Doran, MN, where she attended school until eighth grade before graduating from Breckenridge High School in 1972.

Joan spent her early years doing chores on the farm with her siblings. She also spent many hours playing outside and enjoying the simple pleasures of farm life. On Sundays during the summer, her parents would take the children to Jewett Lake to swim and enjoy a picnic lunch. Each fall, the family visited Maplewood State Park to admire the changing fall leaves. They always had to be home in time for chores though!

Joan was united in marriage to Craig (Jon) Patrick on October 20, 1973 in Sisseton, SD. Together, they had two sons, Curtis and Joshua. Joan and Craig spent many years enjoying camping, attending car shows, flea markets and riding around in classic cars. She spent hours in their garage as Craig and their sons restored classic cars together.

Joan was extremely hardworking throughout her entire life. She began her adult life by working for a few years at Medallion Kitchens in Fergus Falls alongside her mother. She then spent the next 45 years working at Ro-Banks Manufacturing, where she ran numerous presses until she retired on her 70th birthday in 2023. She was a friend to many of her coworkers.

Joan’s greatest treasure was her family. Whether it was a little one wanting to go to the park or her granddaughters wanting to go Black Friday shopping, her answer was always, “Okay, let's go!” For many years, she and her sisters hosted various extended family get-togethers where they planned games, created decorations and spent hours cooking. Joan went above and beyond to make family gatherings memorable. She never passed up an opportunity to spend time with her family.

Joan always had a love for crafting. She was constantly finding new ideas to create and sharing them with her loved ones. Her craft room was a place of adventure and passion for many years. She especially enjoyed attending craft shows with her sisters every year.

She also had a love for camping and cooking over the fire. One of her fondest memories, which she shared often, was attending a Girl Scout camp with her granddaughters, where she taught a group of young girls to cook over the fire and in a tin-foil box.

Joan is survived by her son, Curtis of Solon, IA; her grandchildren McKenzie (Gabriel) Wilkerson, Alexa (Tristin) Wilcox, Connor, and Andrew; her great-grandchildren, Kai, Reid, and Wren; her siblings, Jim (Dee) Hansen, Diane (Robert) Heinert, Donna (Duana) Rogahn, Gail (Rodney) Olson; and many nieces and nephews.

Joan is preceded in death by her husband, Craig; her son, Joshua; and her parents, Henry and Florence.