Joan L. Kendall

Joan L. Kendall, age 91, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on December 3, 2024, at her home in Hastings.

Joan Lois was born on March 21, 1933, in Red Wing, Minnesota to Mierl and Ruth (Brock) Hattemer.

Joan graduated from Lake City High School in 1950, after which she pursued her vocational goals by enrolling in the Private Secretary curriculum at the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis, MN. Following business school, she worked and lived in Minneapolis until her marriage to Lloyd Wm. (Bill) Kendall in 1954, when he was stationed in the Navy in Honolulu, Hawaii. Joan and Bill were married for 37 years until Bill's passing in 1992.

As a stay-at-home mom raising four children, Joan later re-entered the workforce in 1967, joining the Dakota County Administrative Department. She began as a secretary and worked her way up to Assistant Administrator/Clerk to the Board, a position she held until her retirement in 1995.

In the 1980s, Joan earned an associate’s degree from Inver Hills Community College. Throughout her career, she was a trailblazer for working women, balancing her full-time job at Dakota County with her dedication to family. She was known for her exceptional cooking, ensuring her family enjoyed homemade meals every day. Joan also played a key role in relocating the Ten Commandments monument that had to be removed from Dakota County to St. John's Lutheran Church.

Joan was highly respected within her community, and her legacy includes two streets named in her honor—Joan Avenue and Kendall Drive in Hastings, MN. After 27 years of service, Joan retired from Dakota County in 1995 and dedicated her time to volunteering with the Hospital Auxiliary, the Bloodmobile, Friends of the Library, and Hastings Restorative Justice. Joan also enjoyed traveling the world with friends and family, with Ireland being her favorite destination. Her love for the country was reflected in her favorite song, “Danny Boy.”

Joan's favorite pastimes included playing cards, reading, watching game shows, and following the Minnesota Twins baseball games, where she kept detailed stats throughout the season. Above all, she cherished spending time with her grandchildren.

Joan’s legacy lives on through her 11 grandchildren, who deeply admire her. She taught them the importance of honesty, a strong work ethic, and the value of loving one another. In a 2010 excerpt she wrote to her grandchildren: “To my grandchildren, I would say … I hope they will learn to relax and not worry about the little things in life that don’t matter and always remember you are not better than other people, and no one is better than you. If you are willing to work hard, you can achieve many things.'”

She is preceded in death by her husband of 38 years, Lloyd W. “Bill” Kendall; parents, Mierl and Ruth Hattemer; brother, Elliot Hattemer; sisters, Marlys (Leland) Lortscher and Janice (Elroy) Peterson.

Joan is survived by her children, Laurie (Steve) Lorentz, Keith (Lisa) Kendall, Kathryn Kendall (Craig Parris), William (Cynthia) Kendall; grandchildren, Jacob (Ashleigh) Lorentz, Lucas Lorentz, Will (Ashley) Kendall, Hannah Kendall, Lee (Cassie) Rauworth, Weston (fiancé, Becca Klingelhutz) Rauworth, Emily (Nick) Simonsen, Josiah “J.J.” Kendall, Paul Kendall, Ruth Kendall, John Kendall; great-grandchildren, Kendall Lorentz, Karson Lorentz, Kaedyn Lorentz, Kameryn Lorentz, Isabella Kunkel, Liam Lorentz, Aspen Lorentz, Adalynn Rauworth, Samuel Simonsen; brother, Stan Hattemer; sister, Phyllis (Ed) Morehouse; and by many nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.

A Funeral Service will be held at 12 p.m. Monday, December 9, 2024 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Hastings with a visitation from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the church. Interment Lakeside Cemetery, Hastings.

Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel of Hastings is handling arrangements.