By Trudy Dunham

Did you ever have a major local, state, and national political leader join you for coffee and conversation? Joanne Englund did. In the late 1960’s, Hubert Humphrey came to Joanne’s home to meet with Shoreview Leaguers and neighbors to discuss the issues of the day.  As you know, Humphrey was a passionate supporter of civil rights, arms control, humanitarian aid, the Peace Corps, and programs to ensure Americans had food, health care, and education. Joanne held these same values.  She lived these values in her work with League, reaching out to political leaders, encouraging members to educate themselves, discuss the issues of the day, and get involved. Her dedication to public service also shined through in her work with the City of St. Paul (Public Works, Model Cities, etc.), as well as her later freelance work as a consultant and grantwriter for social justice programs. One of her last acts was to submit her absentee ballot for the Ward 4 Special Election for City Council.

Joanne was a member of the Shoreview League before moving to St. Paul and joining the St. Paul League.  She served as President of both local leagues. She won the Faye Lyksett Award in 1991, an accolade given to members of LWVSP who have demonstrated devoted service, performance excellence, and enthusiasm for many years in their League work. 

There are many things I enjoyed about Joanne in our long friendship. She loved to talk in depth about ideas and issues. These conversations often ran long, so I usually blocked out 3 hours for breakfast with Joanne.  She was a good listener, both patient and kind.  She asked good questions, but also wasn’t one to tell you what to do or give you “the answer.” 

Joanne was also an artist.  For many years, my inbox was graced by her “Haiku of the day.” I think she stopped the daily practice after she sent out 1,000 of them (!). Her photography, especially of insects, is magnificent.

One of her greatest passions was history.  She loved her Nordic heritage, travelling to Norway multiple times in search of family ties and to visit the homes and lands of her ancestors. Locally, she showed this appreciation of history and culture in her work with the Ramsey County Historical Society and Gibbs Farm.  One of her great contributions to our community is her interviews and write-ups of the history of many Black families of Rondo.  I can remember us researching the location of the “wild rice” trail route of the Dakota through Minneapolis and St. Paul to Gibbs Farm.

The many contributions Joanne made to League and to her community and friends will be missed. And if presented with this statement, I recognize that she would probably ask us what we are contributing, what will our legacy be, and wait to hear our answers.

You can find Joanne's obituary here .