Joyce Elaine Baumann

Joyce Baumann passed away on March 26, 2026, at the age of 93. Although she'd been healthy enough to live independently with her husband, John, well into her 92nd year, she rapidly succumbed to pneumonia after just having entered hospice care. She often said that she felt blessed by good fortune through her long life, reminding us that she was born on a lucky date, on 03-03-1933. Her life ended at 3:33 am on the 26th. Her good fortune was something she shared generously with her family and friends.

Joyce was born in Devil's Lake, North Dakota, the middle of three children born to Dewey and Marguerite Powell. Her family relocated to the lush river town of Winona, Minnesota, before she started school. She grew to become a lovely young woman with an engaging smile, who made friends easily. She in fact kept up with many of her high school friends throughout most of her life. She met her lifelong sweetheart at a high school dance, a young letterman from the Winona Winhawks football team, thus beginning her life with John E Baumann. They dated five years, through the remainder of high school and Joyce's college years and married in 1955. When John completed his college degree and ROTC program, he was sent into service to Heidelberg, Germany, taking Joyce along, so that the Baumann family was blessed with its first child there in 1956. The young family returned stateside in 1957, where three more children joined them over the next nine years. Joyce and John, being "J's", opted to name their four children with "J" names, too: John (JP), Janet, James and Jeffery. The Baumann's moved several times in the 1960's but never left the Midwest, eventually settling in Northfield, Minnesota, in 1969. A sure manifestation of their constancy and steadiness, the Baumann family kept its home base at Joyce's and John's home on Highland Avenue for 56 years.

Although Joyce considered herself "shy", she was an exemplary host for her family and any other guests. Her love of the culinary arts shone brightly within her kitchen and dining room, where we were all treated to rich, filling multi-course meals followed by scrumptious desserts. The smell of baking bread often filled her home. Arising early to start prep for a holiday meal, her guests would arrive later to find tables set with geometric precision, each napkin smartly folded and placed with its setting of silver. Her favorite feasts included Thanksgiving turkeys with stuffing, hearty beef soups, or holiday brunches with eggs benedict, entrees that inspired us children to try making our own such dishes. We could never get them to turn out as she did. And let no one forget her desserts: Pies, cakes and cookies. Especially Million Dollar Cookies, and Christmas cookies by the dozens.

Joyce went the extra mile for her children and grandchildren in many other ways. She showed her loving heart by listening well when we kids needed her shoulder to cry on, celebrating our successes, or nurturing us with loving attentiveness during illness. She continued to show up for us younger Baumann's throughout our adult lives, caring for her grandchildren as she could, visiting us at every new home we had taken, no matter how far away. Facing whatever dire straits we'd gotten into, Mom would never, ever give up on any of us. Her loving nature focused on her pets and other animals as well. The Baumann home always housed a dog or cat or both, and, later, as a humane society volunteer, Joyce went all in not only by taking many volunteer shifts but also by taking a few of the animals home! She and John kept several dogs, but none touched them as much as Holly, their sweet gray Avon Terrier.

Joyce is preceded in death by her brother, Richard Powell, and she is survived by her sister Janet Adler, and by her four children, John (Brenda McCracken), Janet Preston (Tom Preston), James and Jeffery. She is survived by two further generations, comprising eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

The Baumann family will hold an informal gathering to honor Joyce Baumann's long life and big, loving heart. She will be laid to rest in her family plot in Winona at Woodlawn Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please send check donations to:

Prairie's Edge Humane Society

680 Professional Dr

Northfield, MN 50557.