Joan M. Van Pelt

Joan Marie Van Pelt, age 92, of Hugo, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

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For 73 years, she shared a beautiful life of devotion and partnership with her beloved husband, Dick Van Pelt.

Joan was a deeply loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Born in Grantsburg, WI in 1934, she met her future husband in Siren, WI, at her father’s gas station. For 73 years, she shared a beautiful life of devotion and partnership with her beloved husband, Dick Van Pelt.

Joan poured her heart into her home and her hobbies. She was an exceptionally talented seamstress who spent countless hours sewing clothes of all kinds for her family and friends. Her hands were rarely still, whether she was tending to her garden, working on challenging puzzles, or turning pages of her favorite mystery novels. Joan also loved the simple pleasures of life, like watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, collecting unique bobbleheads, and gathering her family around the table for her homemade spaghetti.

Her memory will be cherished forever by her husband, Dick; her two daughters, Cindy Van Pelt and Sandra Fraenkel; her four grandchildren, Jennifer Van Reith, Jolene Van Pelt, Rick Fraenkel, and Rebecca Fraenkel; and her two great-grandchildren, Emily Fraenkel and Kevin Fraenkel. 

She was predeceased by her son, Marty Van Pelt; and daughter, Karline Van Pelt.

A memorial service to celebrate Joan's life will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at St. Mark Lutheran Church, located at 1 North Road, Circle Pines, MN 55014. A reception follows in the Fellowship Hall. Visitation at the church from 9-10 AM Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Joan's memory to St. Mark Lutheran Church.

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