JoAnn Grace (Witthoft) Ketz, 82, passed away Tuesday, May 16, 2023 with family by her side.

JoAnn was born Jan. 3, 1941, 15 minutes before her twin brother John Witthoft, to Homer and Grace (Christensen) Witthoft at her family's home in Clear Lake, WI. She graduated from Clear Lake High School in 1959. JoAnn moved to Minneapolis, MN where she lived with her sister, Pat, and friends while working as a secretary at a law firm.

While living in Minneapolis, JoAnn made weekend trips home, during which she met Jim Ketz. The couple married at Faith Lutheran Church in Clayton on May 25, 1963 and bought the family farm from Jim's parents. They raised three children: Barry, Greg and Sarha.

During their farming days, JoAnn lived a busy life keeping a garden and flower beds, raising children, cooking from scratch, crafting, sewing and quilting. She belonged to a Homemakers club and was a church volunteer. For many summers, the family went camping with friends. As a mother, JoAnn was devoted, kind and supportive. As a person, she was a loyal friend, thoughtful, quick-witted, good-humored and sometimes a little sassy. Many people knew her as "Hosey," a nickname that originated as "José."

JoAnn spent the first part of her married life as a farm wife/stay-at-home mom. She later worked for sewing, canning and turkey processing companies.

Her grandchildren were the light of JoAnn's life. She always had time for babysitting and sleepovers, enjoyed frosting sugar cookies and playing Nintendo with them, and teaching them new things. Jim and JoAnn rarely missed a program or athletic event.

JoAnn's favorite hobby, and perhaps for what she was most well-known, was quilting. She made hand-stitched quilts for each of her grandchildren, and often for friends on special occasions. When she began to lose her vision and couldn't see her ruler, Jim cut it into one-inch blocks so she could cut pieces by feel. We will cherish these quilts for years to come.

Jim and JoAnn lived on the farm for 54 years until moving to Monroe Manor in Barron in 2017.

Surviving are children Barry (Brenda) Ketz, Greg Ketz, and Sarha (Ky) Baumgard; grandchildren Tyler Ketz, Cammie (Robert) Bodsberg, Abbey (Clay) Dziekan, Kailey Ketz, Samuel Baumgard and Christopher Baumgard; greatgrandchildren Savannah Dziekan and Robert W. Bodsberg; brothers John and Dennis (Denise Elmer); sisters-in-law Gwen Witthoft, Marjean Witthoft and Bernice Larson; and many nieces and nephews.

JoAnn was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her father and mother-in-law Samuel and Hazel Ketz; brothers Ken, Robert and David Witthoft; sisters Patricia Jungmann and Denise Witthoft; brothers-in-law Robert Jungmann, Kenny Ketz and Lynn Larson; and sister-in-law Lucy Witthoft.

Visitation will be held from 4 to 7 pm Thursday, June 1, 2023 at the Williamson-White Funeral Home in Amery. A funeral service will begin at 11 am on Friday, June 2, 2023 at Faith Lutheran Church with Pastor Margaret Grant officiating, and burial to follow at the Clayton Cemetery.