Joanne A. Streifel

Sister Joanne A. Streifel  (Ta we wakegege sa winyan – Woman Who Sews) passed away on Saturday, October 16, 2021 at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks and was born March 11, 1941 to Paul B. Streifel and Mary Jane Buisson/Streifel at the Fort Totten Hospital at Fort Totten, ND.

Joanne attended St. Michael’s Indian Mission as a border for the 1^st 6 years and then as a day student when the Mission started busing.  She attended high school at Mount St. Benedict, Crookston, MN.  As a senior she entered religious life at Mt. St. Benedict Monastery and continued as a Benedictine sister until 1983.  She continued private vows with the Sisters of Christian Service until her death on October 16, 2021.

Joanne attended Corbet College. She taught in elementary classrooms from 1963 to 1973, then went on to receive a Bachelor Degree in Social Work from Moorhead State University.  She went on to become a Licensed Master Social Worker through Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio, TX in 1980.  Joanne worked in many different capacities as a social worker including director of social work at St Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes, MN from 1973 to 1979; consultant for the Nursing Home in Freeze, MN; Counsellor with Devils Lake Social Services, director of programs for the Little Flower Freedom Center Residential Child Care Facility Homes for troubled youth in Minnewaukan, ND; mental health counsellor for the Spirit Lake Tribe; and taught social work courses at Little Hoop Community College.  Joanne belonged to several honors organizations including the National Association of Social Workers, Licensed Certified Social Worker Licensed for Private Practice in ND, Who’s Who in Midwest 1983 Edition, member of Mental Health Association of ND and Member of Association of Private Providers of Residential Child Care.

When Joanne retired from social work responsibilities with the Spirit Lake Tribe she started a small business called Prairie Rose Quilting. She is well known for her creations and the quilting she has done for other quilters.

When her parents could no longer live independently in 1995 she moved on the same property to see that they were taken care of and fed.  In time she needed to take off from work to care for them until their deaths in 2000 and 2001. Her generous giving of self was returned when her sister Dorothy moved in with her to take care of her for the past five years. True to her native ancestry, Joanne was one with nature.  She was an avid bird watcher and gardener.  She had an ear and a hug for anyone coming to her door. 

Joanne was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Mary Jane Streifel, and siblings Bernadine, James, Joseph and Paul (Helen) Streifel. She is survived by her siblings: Louis (Donna) Streifel, Vancouver, WA;  Sr. Marguerite Streifel, Oslo, MN;,  Frances (Richard) Stracqualursi, Rapid City, SD; Julianne Labine, Argyle, MN; Christine (James) Hudspeth, Taylor Falls, MN; Dorothy Streifel, Fort Totten, ND; Thomas (Rachael) Streifel, Lake Clark Shores, FL.   She held her nieces and nephews close to her heart:  Shannon, Keyna, Michael, Jeffery, Debbie, Christopher, Stephanie, Laura, Carol, John, Kathryn, Kristin, Karen, Erin, Ira, Lauren, Marissa and Melzia .

Wake services will be at the Seven Dolores Church in Fort Totten, ND beginning at 4:00 p.m. with a Rosary and Scripture Service at 7PM on Friday, October 22, 2021 and funeral Mass at same location on Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 10 AM with burial in St. Jerome’s Catholic Cemetery, rural Fort Totten.