JoAnn Peterson, 67

JoAnn Peterson, 67, of Sioux City, Iowa, passed away Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, at her home surrounded by her family, following a long illness.

Services were held Aug. 10 in Sioux City. A family service will be held in Montana at a later date.

JoAnn, a longtime human resources director at Briar Cliff University, was born on Dec. 27, 1952, in Washington, D.C., to Nellie Frances and David Barlow. She graduated from Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in human resources from Briar Cliff.

For 20 years, she was business manager for the Daily Inter Lake newspaper in Kalispell. Later, she joined Briar Cliff where she worked for 14 years before retiring.

JoAnn married Ron Peterson on Dec. 27, 2002, their shared birth date.

A loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, JoAnn enjoyed weekly date nights, traveling and playing games with her friends. She loved the holiday season and spent days making sure her home was ready and fully decorated for entertaining family and friends.

JoAnn, a master gardener, also enjoyed planting and tending to her garden where she could commune with nature. Family members say she wasn’t happy unless she had dirt under her fingernails. She loved drinking her morning coffee and enjoying evening sunsets on her back deck, with the flowers, songbirds, turkey and deer.

Most of all, she loved spending time with her family. Going back to Montana, talking daily with her girls and watching her grandchildren at their sporting events were particularly special.

She is survived by her husband, Ron; and Rich Burns of Libby, father of her children; two daughters, Cindy (Steve) Henderson, of Kalispell, and Angela (Jake) Jenkins, of Sioux City; three sons, Michael (Megan) Burns, Jeffrey (Jill) Burns and Gene (Kai) Burns, all of Kalispell; a stepson, Matthew (Larryn) Peterson of Memphis, Tennessee; a stepdaughter, Michelle Peterson, of Fort Dodge, Iowa; 15 grandchildren, Austin, Courtney, Chelsey, Nicole, Robby, Kaylub, Jaden, Wyatt, Jayce, Noah, Kaden, Jayden, Jaxson, Madeleine and Landrie; one great-grandson, McKinley; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father.

Memorials may be sent to the American Cancer Association.