Joan Oren, 87

Joan Oren of Baudette, MN, died peacefully in her home on March 25, 2025. 

Joan was born on July 3, 1938, to Crawford and Lucille (Partridge) Schwendler in Rochester, New York. The family moved to Owatonna, MN, where Joan attended and graduated from Owatonna High School, earning all-state clarinet honors in band. She attended the University of Minnesota, where she met John Oren, and they later transferred to St. Cloud State University. They were married in 1962 at Waite Park, Minnesota, and in 1963, John C. Oren Jr. was born. They moved back to Minneapolis, John’s hometown, but decided they wanted to raise their family in a smaller community. So, in 1966, they moved to Baudette.

Joan worked at Arnold’s and Powell’s department stores for many years. She later worked for the Baudette Region, where her notorious proofreading skills were highly regarded.

She was active in the community, volunteering and helping with many local and community projects and events. She was a member of the Eastern Star organization, an election judge for many years, and active in the community band. Joan helped with pancake breakfasts and doughnut fundraisers for the Brink Center. She was an expert lefse maker and loved helping with lefse and baking fundraisers. 

Joan loved to garden; she especially loved her vegetable gardens and her cosmos. She was knowledgeable and supportive and was always willing to jump in and help to weed, plant, or offer good advice. She was generous and always shared her harvested bounty.

Joan’s love of quilting led her to the Ladyslipper Quilt Guild, where she made life-long friendships and found soulmates in the art. They went on quilt excursions and held quilt retreats for years on the Rainy River and then more recently, Middle River. She loved her time with friends, planning delicious items to contribute to their feasts and creating beautiful items for her home, friends, family, and donations to local and international organizations. 

Another passion Joan developed later in life was for NDSU football. She watched or listened to many games and often planned Saturdays around game time. She traveled to several of the FCS championship games in Texas, where everyone loved her enthusiasm and adventurous spirit. After every national championship victory, she would head down to the football field to celebrate the victory with her family, players, and newfound Bison friends.

Joan was fiercely independent and took pride in being able to take care of most things herself. Even though she was driving her car until the end, she would always look forward to getting her 1950s red Schwinn bicycle tuned up each year for her summer rides around Baudette.

She is survived by her son, John Oren Jr. (Vicky Williams), and her brother, Crawford Schwendler. Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her husband John, and sister-in-law Alice Schwendler.

John Jr. and Vicky have been blessed by the help and support of Joan’s friends, especially Janet Schroeder, and Miki and Lee Paradise. Joan took the motto, she who dies with the most fabric (and quilting supplies) wins seriously! Janet has helped, spending many hours, to make sure that those who share a love of quilting and sewing receive all that Joan spent a lifetime gathering. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children, the Humane Society, the Brink Center, or the charity of your choice are appreciated. 

An open house celebration of Joan’s life will be held at the Brink Center on Saturday, October 18, from 11:00 to 1:00. Her family invites her friends, quilting and gardening buddies, and everyone from the community to join them. Since it’s an NDSU Bison Football week, we will have the game on in the background. One last time, in her immortal words, “Horns up and GO BISON!!”