Joanne Sullivan, of St. Thomas, Minnesota, passed away at home with her family on October 28, 2026. She was 96 years old. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be on Thursday, November 5, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Prairie Catholic Church. Visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the Kolden Funeral Home in Belle Plaine and continue one hour prior to Mass at the church in Thursday morning. Interment will be in Ft. Snelling National Cemetery at a later date.
Joanne was born on March 15, 1930, to Richard O’Brien and Mary Evelyn McDevitt in Scott County, Minnesota. She married Richard (Dick) Sullivan on October 1, 1955 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Belle Plaine. They lived and worked side by side on the family farm. Joanne lived a long life rooted in family and home.
After graduating from Belle Plaine HS she moved to Minneapolis where she lived with her grandma McDevitt and worked in the Minneapolis Federal Reserve. She traveled to Europe and explored several countries during her single years. After marriage, Joanne enjoyed baking and cooking, sewing, and visiting the sick. She spent a lot of time tending a large garden, and then canned jams, pickles, tomatoes, and plenty more. Dick and Joanne met at New Prague’s ballroom at a dance, and continued to love dancing throughout their long marriage. She was an active member of her Catholic churches: taught Catechism, prayed the rosary, sang in choir, and enjoyed many roles for the church. Joanne was very proud of her Irish heritage, active in LAAOH, and loved Irish music. She proudly donated many gallons to blood banks. She loved playing cards, feeding and watching birds, and tending the farm kitties.
She will be remembered with deep love by her children: Brian Sullivan, Colleen Dillaway, Ann Tanaka, Teresa Sullivan, MaryJo Bunton and Owen Sullivan; 12 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren. The family she raised and cherished stands as a lasting part of her life and legacy, and her memory will remain close in their hearts.