JoAnne Germann

Jo was a loving, generous, and caring person who had three true passions in life: baking and cooking, sports, and socializing.

Jo learned to cook and bake early on, right at her mother’s side. By the time she reached high school, she was regularly asking her dad what he wanted for dessert. He loved to challenge her with tough choices—like chocolate eclairs or rich spice cake that would sometimes fall in the center and “have” to be filled with frosting. It’s fair to say he had a sweet tooth. In all her years of baking for him, he only ever offered one critique: he advised her never to use yellow frosting again.

Jo loved to feed anyone who came to the family home. She would offer cookies and never took “no” for an answer—not that many people were inclined to refuse. Her baking was simply too delicious.

Another of Jo’s big loves was sports, especially her Twins and Vikes. She attended two World Series and even went to Cooperstown for the induction of Kirby Puckett and Dave Winfield. Dressed head to toe in Twins gear, she was so excited at the airport she was practically giddy. A reporter from WCCO even stopped to interview her—perhaps drawn in by that spirited outfit! Jo was on cloud nine. She was just as devoted to the Vikings, holding season tickets for many years. Her two favorite quarterbacks were Fran Tarkenton and Terry Bradshaw. Whenever Terry appeared on TV, she’d shout, “There’s my man!”

More than anything, though, Jo loved people. She could board a city bus, sit next to a stranger, and know their life story by the time they got off. When she saw babies or young children, she always had to stop and say hello. Unsurprisingly, Jo made many lasting friendships during her 42 years at Ecolab.

Jo was born in St. Paul on July 13, 1941, to Joseph and Esther Germann, who preceded her in death, along with her older sister, Jackie. She is survived by her younger sister, Jan; her cousin, Micki Dittman (Mike); Micki’s son, Jon, and his two children, Aidan and Livi; and cousins David Butz (Sharon), Beverly Lockman, and Mary Lou Lockman. Jo will also be deeply missed by her many friends and her beloved puppies, Ava Mae and Kasey Jae.

Her funeral will be held at Brenny Funeral Home in Baxter on Saturday, February 7. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m., with lunch to follow. Flowers are welcome, but donations to H.A.R.T. Animal Shelter would be a wonderful way to honor Jo’s love for animals and bring joy to so many lives.