Joan Barbara Reisberg

Reisberg, Joan (Anderson)
Age 92, Joan "Joanne" passed away at her home on November 7th. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Gunnard and Ida Louise Anderson, sister Carol (John) Freeburg, sister-in-law Lois (Don) Krebs, nephew Todd Krebs, and husband and college sweetheart of 59 years, Bernie. She is survived by children Carolyn Reisberg, Jennifer (Lars) Johnson, and Bernie John (Michelle) Reisberg and grandchildren Meredith and Gunnard Johnson, and Sam, Tori and Spencer Reisberg as well as nieces and nephews John, Jim and Charlie Freeburg, Debbie Wolf and Amy Young.
Joanne graduated from North High School in 1951 and received a B.A. degree from the University of Minnesota in 1955 and a B.S. degree from Macalester College in 1960. She taught at Bremer and Hawthorne elementary schools in Minneapolis as well as Wainright junior high school in El Paso, Texas when husband Bernie served as a JAG Officer at the Army Base in Fort Bliss, TX.
Joanne enjoyed telling stories as a young child and performing dramatic readings with her sister Carol. She belonged to the 62nd Street Writers, The Treehouse Writers, The Minnesota Christian Writers Guild, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Joanne was a published author of numerous books. She received an Achievement Award from the Writer's Digest, The Institute of Children's Literature, and an ANA award from the University of Minnesota for a math adventure book which was published and translated into both Chinese and Korean. She loved visiting schools and libraries and sharing her books with young people.
Joanne was a lifelong member of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association, the American Swedish Institute, the American Association of University Women as well as the 1006 Society. She was an active member of the Kappa Kappa Lambda sorority, Golden Valley Country Club, and remained a faithful member at Elim Lutheran Church for the past 50 years.
Her greatest joy was spending time with family and being involved in their lives. She had a quick wit, a competitive spirit, and especially enjoyed playing tennis and challenging her grandchildren to a game of ping pong. She loved music, playing games, cards and creating puzzles for her grandchildren. She also cherished her time with family on Eagle Lake and Captiva Island.
Joanne had an enormous capacity to love and left this world better than she found it, filling it with joy and love of friends and family. She will be greatly missed.
A special thank you to Dr. Lori Weinberg and the entire team at the Minnesota Oncology Maple Grove Clinic.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 15th at 12:30 at Elim Lutheran Church, 3978 West Broadway, Robbinsdale, MN with visitation 1 hour prior to the service. The interment will be private. Memorials preferred to Elim Lutheran Church or the American Swedish Institute.