Joanne L. Halverson, 88, formally of Mt. Sterling and currently residing in LaCrosse, passed away Friday March 6th, 2020 at home with her family by her side. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. Born October 23, 1931 in LaCrosse to the late Albert and Helen (Hutson) Peterson, she was the oldest of 11 children. She was baptized and confirmed in La Crosse and attended Seneca High School.

On Oct 29th,1949 she married Everett Halverson, and thus began their lives as dairy farmers. They worked side by side and provided a wonderful home for their three children, Joan, Jeff and Julie. Sadly we only had Julie for a short 7 months. Our Dad passed away in 2010, leaving a big void in my mothers’ life and in ours also. They had been married for over 60 years.

Mom was a life long member of Utica Lutheran Church, Ferryville. Over the years she served her church in many capacities. She was a member of the Martha Circle. A special thank you to DeLee, Judy and Marsha.

Reluctant to leave her farm and church, in 2015 she finally agreed to move to

La Crosse to be closer to her children, though her heart was always at the farm and with her church family.

Mom was a woman of many talents and she shared them generously. She was a maker of quilts, not the fancy ones, but the ones she would sew from scraps of cloth and tie by hand. You could wrap yourself in them or lay over your lap, they made life feel better and safer. As I write this obituary I am safely tucked under one of her quilts. If she gifted you one, you knew you were wrapped in love.

I can’t begin to count how many pieces of furniture she restored and refinished, all turning out beautifully.

Dust and dirt were the enemy and always defeated. Her organizational skills were unmatched. She was a life long reader which she passed on to her children.

She was a wonderful cook and on holidays always had lutefisk and lefsa to remind us of our Norwegian heritage. We’ll miss her homemade soups, desserts and pies, actually we’ll miss everything about her. She was a person who did so much for so many but did it so quietly.

Survived by her children Joan and Jeff Halverson of LaCrosse.

Grandsons: Eric (Lisa) Knutson-Ferryville, Joshua (Betsy) Knutson-Genoa, and Kristopher Halverson-LaCrosse. Great-grand children: Dylan (Sierra) Knutson-Westby, Kaden and Braxton-Genoa. Sisters and Brothers: James (Beatrice) Peterson, Anita Hansen, Dorothy Fortney, Marilyn Kleppe, Gordon Peterson, Cheryl (Carl) Olson and Randy (Janelle) Peterson. Brother-in-law Donald Hanson and Sister-in-law Leota Olson and many nieces, nephews and friends.

She is also survived by very Special Family Members: Terry Thomas, and Joe and Oakley Miller.

She is preceded in death by her husband Everett, and daughter Julie Louise. Brothers: Ronald (Norma) Peterson and John Peterson, Sister: Lorraine Hanson. Brother in law’s: Roger Hansen, LeRoy Halverson, and Sister-in-law : Ruth (Bernard) Erickson.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday March 13th, at the Utica Lutheran Church, rural Ferryville. Officiating at the service will be Pastor Nile Sandeen with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church at 9 a.m. until time of service at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be directed to the Utica Lutheran Church Cemetery Fund. A special thank you to Pastor Nile Sandeen and Pastor Scott Skogen for their kindness and support at this difficult time