Joan Ida Lewis, 87

Joan Ida Lewis passed away on February 1, 2024, at the Elk River Senior Living Facility at the age of 87.

She was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on January 26, 1937, to Bernice and Earl Dahlgren. She was involved in gymnastics at an early age. The family relocated to the rural Baudette area when she was 11 years old, along with her two younger sisters, Doreen and Patricia, and younger brother Dan. She attended the one-room community school, Munroe Elementary, until she went to Baudette High School for 7th grade.

She graduated from Baudette High School in 1955. The Hay Creek community was very active and had local baseball games, 4-H activities, and community picnics. The teenagers in the community ran the first telephone lines down County Road 16 to connect the small farmsteads with a party line phone.

Joan met the love of her life, Leonard Lewis from the Birchdale area and they were married on June 30th, 1957, at the First Lutheran Church in Baudette. Their first home was in Buhl, MN, an 8’ mobile home that they would move back and forth seasonally as Leonard worked doing carpentry in the summer and logging in the winter.

Leonard built their forever home in Anoka County in 1965. There they raised a family and horses, went to horse shows and took part in many national competitions. Their family was very active in the Pony of America Club. They opened their home to the Minnesota POA Futurity for several years. Breeders would travel to Anoka to take part in the futurity and enjoy great food and camaraderie at the Lewis home. They were both inducted into the POA Hall of Fame on February 26, 2005.

Later, they raised exotic birds and other animals at their home in Anoka (now Ramsey). Their home became a showplace for schoolchildren on class outings. Leonard lost a battle with cancer in 2003, but Joan continued her involvement in POAC for many years. The POAC created a Leonard Lewis Memorial Award for High Point Timed Events, which she was honored to present to the winners.

Joan worked hard while raising a family to also gain a degree from UMD in Finance and Accounting. She had multiple jobs in accounting. She worked for The Cornelius Company as a Comptroller. After retiring, she went to work doing finances for Zappa management in the resort maintenance industry. She finally fully retired at the age of 81.

Joan loved to travel, and she visited several countries. She would often travel with friends and family on trips and cruises to European, Scandinavian and Baltic countries, and occasional excursions in the USA. One of her last trips was to Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand with her daughter and granddaughter in 2017. She collected spoons from the many places she traveled.

She organized yearly Twin’s game outings for her sisters and brothers and would host the family as they came to attend games with her. She attended the annual Spring Training in Fort Myers, Florida, with her sister Pat for many years. She enjoyed outings to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre with family and friends. Joan’s house became the stopping place for any of the family visiting the Twin Cities and jokingly (and lovingly) was referred to as the “Lewis Hotel” by family members.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Leonard Lewis, her mother, Bernice Dahlgren and father, Earl Dahlgren, and her brother-in-law, Robert Hartnell. She is survived by her children, Allen Lewis (Charlotte) of Litchfield, MN; Bonnie Schaub (Dave) of Otsego, MN; and Don Lewis (Jodi) of Stillwater, MN and Cape Coral, FL; her grandchildren, Jeremy Poitra, currently stationed in Germany, Andrea Schaub of Andover, MN and Katie Lewis of MN; her siblings, Doreen Hartnell of Baudette, MN, Patricia Hughes (Warren) of Kelliher, MN, Dan Dahlgren of Baudette, MN, Gary Dahlgren (Kay) of Converse, TX, and Diana McLain (Kevin) of Ramsey, MN; and many nephews and nieces. She will be missed by family and friends who knew her in the POA and work communities.

A celebration of her life will be held in the Baudette area in the spring, where her ashes will be placed next to Leonard’s in the Birchdale Cemetery.