JOANNA LEE

JOANNA MARGARET LEE Joanna Margaret Lee, 87, of Int'l Falls, died peacefully September 30, 2025 under the kind and excellent care of the ICU and Hospice of St. Mary's Duluth. the family wishes to also thank the staff of Rainy Lake Medical Center for their prompt care. Their kindness gave us an extra 12 days with our matriarch. She was born in 1938 at Warroad, MN to Samuel C. Nash and Josephine (Servis) Nash. She graduated from Warroad High School and took several courses later in life at Rainy River Community College. After graduation she was a waitress at a small cafe in Hallock, MN before moving to Milwaukee with her best friend Dorothy Storey, who was following her future husband Oliver Jesme. He helped them settle in the area. Without his help they would have never made it. They were the real Laverne and Shirley. She worked at Northwestern Insurance and Briggs & Stratton on the assembly line. She was laid off and moved to Int'l Falls where her whole family had migrated. She was recalled from her layoff but decided to stay working at a resort where she met her future husband. Sadly the marriage didn't work out. She worked at New Lunch three summers as a waitress and Stedman's before getting her job at Boise Cascade in 1974. She worked there for 27 years before retiring. She was the second full time woman working on the factory line since WWII. She had three children, Pamela, Joseph & Steven Lee. She liked crafts, primarily crocheting baby blankets, cross stitch, knitting and spoiling her grandchildren. She also liked mysteries (books/tv) and puzzles. Family was important to her and they gathered once a week at her parents and, when they passed, at her home. Food, Yahtzee, cards or Dominos was their past-time. She was a member of Lutheran Church, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Union and a democrat who voted for Jessie Ventura. Survived by her brother Dan Nash of Casper, Wyoming, sister-in-laws Betty (McNabb) Nash (Chuck), Pat (St. Clair)(Harry) Nash of Int'l Falls and Rita (Ronny) Lee of Winnipeg, Manitoba, daughter, Pamela (Hap) Poster, sons Joseph (Ashley Michael-Lee) Lee and Steven Lee, grandchildren Joseph Fedorak, Kevin Wright, Daniel, Hayley, Tristan, Maya, Brynna and Paxton Michael-Lee, many honorary grandchildren, nieces and nephews, great-grandchildren Elaina Wright, Sarah Fedorak and Gage Michael-Lee. She was proceeded in death by parents Sam C. Nash, R. Josephine (Servis) Nash, brothers and sisters, Samuel and Nancy (Pullar) Nash, Joseph and Alice (Bourman) Nash, Harry Nash, Charles Nash, Ruth Kammeyer, Patricia Otto, sister-in-law Rhea (Monteau) Nash (Dan's wife). She had two friends she met working at Boise and kept in touch with after retirement, Sheri Erickson and Mary McGrath. Services will be held at First Lutheran Church on October 25, 2025, visitation 10:00am, funeral 11:00am, repast at noon. A celebration of lifewill occur July 4, 2026 at City Beach, Int'l Falls.