Joanne Catherine LaDoux, 96, departed to be with her Lord and Savior peacefully of natural causes on April 12, 2021, under the wonderful care of Heart of Hospice and staff at The Springs at Mill Creek Assisted Living Facility in The Dalles, OR.
Joanne, fondly called “Jennie” by family and close friends, is the second oldest of eight siblings. She was born in Hibbing (Carson City), Minnesota on July 7, 1924, to John and Mary Staydohar. She graduated from Greenway High School in Coleraine, Minnesota in 1943 where she was active in 4-H. She then moved to Seattle, WA in 1944 where she worked as a sheet metal helper and office supervisor for Winslow Marine Railway who were building support ships for the war effort in the Pacific during World War II. She moved back to Minnesota in 1945 where she married that same year Theodore (Ted) V. LaDoux at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church of Coleraine, Minnesota. After five years and the birth of their first of two sons (Ted Jr.), the urge to find better employment opportunities motivated Joanne, her husband and son to move to the Pacific Northwest first to Washington then Oregon. After several moves in both states the family finally settled in The Dalles, Oregon in 1967 where Joanne lived the rest of her life. She and husband Ted were long time attenders at St. Peters Catholic Church.
Joanne was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ted V. LaDoux (2017); son, Dennis LaDoux (2020); sisters, Helen Spanish (1993) and Mary Vinall (2020); and brother, John Staydohar (2014)
Joanne is survived by three sisters, Ann Howe (Bill) Ellis of Warsaw, IN, Betty (Rollie) Berry of Rialto, CA, Diane (Michael) Tok of Hastings, MN; and brother Dick (Fiancé Hazel) Staydohar of Marble, MN; her son, Ted (Kathy) LaDoux of Eatonville, WA, and grandsons, Brandon (Carrie) LaDoux of Olympia, WA, Brent (Susan) LaDoux of Seattle, WA, Jeremy LaDoux of Emmet, ID; and granddaughter, Cassandra LaDoux (Jesse) Verrips of Baxter, MN; and five great grandchildren, Sydney and Quinn LaDoux, and Henry, Blake and Tommy Verrips; and many nieces and nephews.
This beautiful and loved wife, mother and sister will be dearly missed by her family. The family was very blessed to have her be a part of their lives for so many years. She spent most of her adult life being a devoted housewife and mother. She was a meticulous housekeeper and excellent baker known for her great Croatian Potica (walnut bread) and Sarma (cabbage rolls). She was the glue that held the family together during troubled times. She also loved visiting with family and friends, and listening to a variety of music, especially the music of her parents’ Croatian (formerly Yugoslavia) heritage. As a teenager she and her older sister played and sang in her father’s Croatian Tamburitza band who wrote most of the music they played as well as teaching them and other band members how to play the many instruments they used. She also worked at several major clothing retail stores in The Dalles for many years, but her passion was gardening and oil painting and an occasional
camping trip or visit to Reno for fun. Joanne’s high school senior annual best described how she lived her life right up to the end - “Though modest and gentle She rules her own mind”.
A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, June 19th at St. Peters Catholic Church, 1222 W 10th St. followed by Inurnment at St. Peters Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to the Oregon Veterans’ Home – 700 Veterans Dr., The Dalles, OR 97058.
Funeral arrangements are provided by Spencer Libby & Powell Funeral Home.
