JoAnn Marie Kessel, 65, Fairfield, died Sunday, February 2, 2020 surrounded by her family at CHI St. Alexius Bismarck. Mass of Christian Burial for JoAnn will be 10 a.m., Friday, February 7, 2020 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, Belfield with Fr. Brian Gross as celebrant and as concelebrants Fr. Shane Campbell and Fr. William Ruelle. Interment will take place on Monday at 12 p.m. MT at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery, Mandan. Visitation will be on Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the church with a rosary and vigil at 7 p.m. with Deacon Loren Kordonowy. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday.
JoAnn Marie Meduna was born April 5, 1954 in Dickinson, the daughter of Joe G. and Julia (Dvorak) Meduna. She was raised and educated on the family ranch east of New Hradec and graduated from Dickinson High School in 1972. In 1974, she was crowned the Killdeer Mountain Rodeo Queen.
JoAnn married Joe Kessel on January 14, 1977 at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church and to this union three boys were born, Jack, John and Joey. They ranched and farmed in the Snow area until 1980 when they bought a place north of Fairfield where they raised their family. During this time, she worked at Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, as a cook in Fryburg and Heart River Elementary in Dickinson and also drove school bus for Billings County and the Killdeer Public School.
She had a passion for cooking and baking, loved gardening and enjoyed horses, cats and dogs. They were members of St. Peter Canisius Catholic Church, Grassy Butte and had attended St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Killdeer and Epiphany Catholic Church in Watford City.
JoAnn is survived by her husband, Joe; their sons, Jack (Casey) Kessel, Dickinson, John Kessel, Medora and Joey Kessel, Belfield; grandchildren, Jacob, Katie, Cord and Coy Kessel; sister, Charlene (Gailand) Kadrmas, Fairfield; and numerous nieces, nephews and the extended Kessel family.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Don (Linda) Meduna; and brothers-in-law, William D. Kessel and Tom Chauncey.
