Joan Marie Van Pelt, age 92, of Hugo, Minnesota, passed peacefully on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Joan was a deeply loving wife, grandmother and friend. She was born in Grantsburg, Wisconsin, in 1934 to Hazel and Martin Nelson of Siren, Wisconsin.
She met her future husband in Siren at her father’s gas station. For 73 years, she shared a beautiful life of devotion and partnership with her husband, Dick Van Pelt.
Joan poured her heart into her home and hobbies. She was a talented seamstress who spent countless hours sewing clothes of all kinds for family and friends. Her hands were rarely still, tending to her garden, working challenging puzzles or reading mystery novels. She was a faithful follower of TOPS and KOPS, making many friends there. Joan also loved the simple pleasures of life, watching “Wheel of Fortune,” collecting unique bobbleheads and cooking her fantastic spaghetti for family and friends.
Her memory will be cherished forever by her husband, Dick; two daughters, Cindy Van Pelt and Sandra Fraenkel; and grandchildren, Jennifer Van Reith, Jolene Van Pelt, Rick Fraenkel, and Rebecca Fraenkel; and two great-grandchildren, Emily Fraenkel and Kevin Fraenkel. She was predeceased by her son, Marty Van Pelt, and daughter, Karline Van Pelt.
Joan is now a leaf on the tree of life at St. Mark Lutheran Church and is safely in God’s hands.
A memorial service was held on Aug. 1, 2026. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Joan’s memory to St. Mark Lutheran Church in Circle Pines, Minnesota.
