Joanne "Jo" Margaret (Hall) Haugen

Joanne "Jo" Margaret Haugen (Hall) entered into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ on March 11, 2022 at the age of 81, surrounded by her loving family. She was born to Cyrus and Helen Hall in Fountain, MN on October 21, 1940. Jo enjoyed growing up on a farm with her four siblings. In 1961, she married James Haugen and moved to Biloxi, MS where Jim was stationed in the Air Force. Here they welcomed their first child, Jennifer. A few years later, son John would be born in Louisville, KY before the family returned home to Minnesota.  Without question, Jo's favorite thing was to spend time with family, including several gatherings for the "Hallidays" family reunions in Netarts Beach, OR with her siblings and their families or sharing oyster stew on Christmas Eve.  She was a loving and supportive mother, superbly playing the role of spiritual leader and Hockey Mom.

Jo began her career as a technician at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.  She was a savvy entrepreneur, building a successful property management business with her great team in Bloomington, MN.

Later in life, Jo met Mike Bania. Together, they graciously displayed the gift of hospitality and love to so many. Jo’s Christian faith was the foundation for her life; she was trained in Stephen's Ministry and also savored the opportunity to learn about God's truth in Bible Study Fellowship.  Among her many strengths, Jo had the magnetic ability to accept and love others wherever they were at, and her positive energy was an inspiration to all. She adored her grandkids and was known as “Grammar Jo” for her prowess in Scrabble and crossword puzzles.

Jo is survived by Mike Bania, her life partner of 35 years; first husband, James Haugen; son, John Haugen and his wife, Linda; grandchildren, Lukas, Truman, Isaac and Estelle from Excelsior, MN; sister, Shari Anderson from Seattle, WA; brother, William (Karen) Hall from Eugene, OR; and brother, Robert Hall from Torrance, CA and many beloved relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her brother, Larry, daughters, Janna Haugen (1970) and Jennifer Haugen (2019).

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday, April 7th at Community of the Cross Lutheran Church, 10701 Bloomington Ferry Rd., Bloomington, MN, service at 9:30 AM with visitation one hour before and a lunch reception immediately to follow. Later in the day, there will be a private interment service at Root Prairie Lutheran Cemetery in Fountain, MN.

The service will be livestreamed at cclcmn.org.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to VEAP of Bloomington.