Joan VonRueden

Joan A. VonRueden, age 85, passed away peacefully at Missouri Slope Senior Care in Bismarck, ND on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11AM on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Church in Bismarck, ND. A luncheon will follow the service at 12:30PM at Municipal Country Club, 930 N. Griffin St., Bismarck, ND.

Visitation will be held 5:30-7PM Friday, March 14th at Bismarck Funeral Home with a vigil service starting at 7PM. Burial will be held at 9AM on Monday, March 17th at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery.

Joan Alice Schulz was born March 2, 1939 in Cavalier, ND. The Schulz family had a farm in Crystal, ND for over 100 years. The farming communities in Crystal, Hoople, St. Thomas and Cavalier was where the Schulz’s had many close friends. Joan attended Elementary and High School in Crystal. The Schulz family loved to go to Detroit Lakes during the Summer to visit friends and family there. 

Joan proudly attended the University of North Dakota and was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1961. She then moved to Minneapolis, MN after college where she met John VonRueden and the rest was history. Joan and John married at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at The University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND on September 15, 1962. 

Joan and John started their married life living in Fargo and moved to Bismarck ND where they lived and raised their family. Civic, community, church and political endeavors were the center of their life in Bismarck. They traveled extensively as a couple and encouraged curiosity, connections and adventure for their children through entertaining and their many family trips throughout the United States.

Joan had many interests and was very active throughout her life with friends through her bridge club, gourmet club, working at the ND Legislature and many ND political campaigns. Bismarck Arts and Galleries, Bismarck Republican Women and The Former Governor’s Residence volunteering were some of her greatest joys. She loved being in the middle of the action, no matter what it was. Joan’s lasting legacies will be the energy, fun and willingness she shared everywhere she went and of course, her grandchildren. She will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

Joan is survived by her three children, Jody Estensen (Dave), Wayzata, MN; Kurt (Linda Kahle), Rogers, MN and Karen Havel (Tim) and her five grandchildren, Alex and Andrew VonRueden, Whitney and Barrett Estensen and Jack Havel. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, John in 2007; her parents, Herbert and Alice Schulz; her brother, Ron Schulz; in-laws, Teresa and John VonRueden and granddaughter, Caroline Estensen and many cherished friends to mention. 

A special thank you from the VonRueden family to special friend, Marsha Lembke, who was a selfless lifeline for Joan during her health struggles and to the Nurses and Staff at Missouri Slope who cared for Joan (and her family) during hospice.

During this Lenten season, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials please be made to one of the following-

Bismarck Arts and Galleries Association

https://bismarck-art.org/join-give/online-donation-form/

 The University of North Dakota Alumni Association and Foundation

https://undalumni.org/giving-impact/tributes-memorials.html

 Cathedral of The Holy Spirit Church

https://membership.faithdirect.net/givenow/ND645