Joan Joyce Melendez, age 65 of Deer Park, Wisconsin passed away peacefully on Monday, December 13, 2021 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN.  Joan was born on April 26, 1956 to her parents, Gerald Pettis and Beverly Hagedorn Pettis of rural Augusta, where she attended Augusta School graduating in 1974.  She furthered her education at the CVTC attending Culinary School.  After graduation, she moved to Clear Lake, Wisconsin where she started her restaurant career with her soon to be a lifelong friend, Curt Dodge.  They later became business partners in Turtle Lake and Almena, Wisconsin.  Joan then changed career paths and obtained her CNA license and also attended beauty school.  In the meantime, she met her husband, Jose Melendez and the couple married on December 21, 1991 in Augusta.  They lived in Prairie Farm, WI working on a farm until they purchased their farm in Deer Park. Joan then went back to Health Care, working with the elderly and doing hair dressing at the Evergreen Assisted Living facility.  Joan will be dearly missed by her loving husband of 30 years, Jose; her mother Beverly Pettis of Augusta; stepson Nathan Melendez of New York; four sisters, Deborah Pettis of Augusta; Geraldine (Dale) Erdman of Augusta; Tammy (Jim) Melton of Spooner, WI; Michelle (Harold) Frazee of Osseo, WI; four brothers, Gerald (Mary) Pettis of Eau Claire, WI; James Pettis of Altoona, WI; John (Theresa) Pettis of Augusta and Michael Pettis of Mondovi, WI.  She will also be missed by her special friend, Margot Hammes and many nieces, nephews and her fur babies.  Joan was preceded in death by her father, Gerald and sister in law, Julie Pettis as well as her father and mother in law, Valentine and Paulina Melendez.  Funeral services for Joan will take place at 11:00 am on Friday, December 17, 2021 at the Amery
Free Lutheran Church in Amery.  A visitation will take place from 10 to 11:00 am prior to the service at the church.  Burial will follow the service at the Sunset Cemetery in Prairie Farm, WI.