Joan Mary Hermsen (Huss), 80, passed away on September 28, 2026. Born on October 29, 1945, to Cliff and Valeria Huss, Joan was raised in a farming family and graduated from high school in Freedom, WI. She married and raised her family, spending time in Freedom, WI, and Plymouth, IA, but lived many of her years in Winona, MN. Earning a college degree later in life, Joan lived a full and vibrant life characterized by her kind, gentle heart and soul.

Joan’s greatest joy was found in the company of her family and friends. In her retirement years, she loved spending her summers at the family-built cabin in Lakewood, WI, and enjoying the warm winters at their condo in Mesa, AZ. A true Wisconsinite, Joan was a devoted sports fan who never missed a chance to cheer on the Milwaukee Brewers, the Green Bay Packers, or the Wisconsin Badgers football and basketball teams. When she wasn't rooting for her favorite teams, she could happily spend an entire day immersed in her favorite crime dramas. When not following sports or keeping up with her favorite shows, gardening was her ultimate escape. A young farm girl at heart, she poured her lifelong passion into creating a garden full of love, carefully tending to hundreds of plants and keeping detailed maps of each one.

While she faced complications from Alzheimer's and dementia, it was ultimately her gentle spirit that decided she had lived a wonderfully complete life, one that touched so many, and that it was time to share her peace with everyone forever.

Joan is survived by her devoted husband, Ronald Hermsen; her four loving children: Kristine (Ron) Benjamin, Pam (Don) Springstroh, Tina Hermsen, and Brad (Jennifer) Hermsen; six grandchildren: Hunter, Megan (William), Nicholas (Ashley), Paige, Delaney, and Logan; eight great-grandchildren: Valeria, Abraham, Jacinta, Greta, Larry, Honora, Theodora, and Maximilian; and three sisters: Ellen (Bruce) Hanlon, Diane (the late Tom) Perillo, and Sharon Huss. Joan is further survived by her brothers and sisters-in-law, cousins, extended family members and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, Cliff and Valeria, and her brothers, Larry and David Huss.

Joan’s immense kindness and warm soul will be deeply loved and forever missed by her family, her friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

A Funeral Mass for Joan will be held on Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary’s of the Lake Church, 15232 Co Hwy F, Lakewood, WI. Visitation will begin at the church at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until the time of the Mass. Joan will be laid to rest in the parish cemetery. For online condolences, please visit www.verkuilenfh.com.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Alzheimer’s Association or St. Mary’s of the Lake Church in Joan’s honor.