Joann Wicke Merseal

Joann Wicke was born the eighth of nine children on June 18, 1941 in Anaconda to Lucy Paulino and George Wicke. He grew up in Anaconda, Arlee, and Missoula. She graduated from Missoula County High School. Go Spartans! She married the love of her life, Ed Merseal April 25, 1964. They were married for almost 59 years when Ed died a month shy of their anniversary in 2020. Four daughters were born to them; Paula, Kelly, Christy, and Linda.

Joann graduated from the Modern Beauty School in 1960. She always made her girls feel beautiful with cuts, perms, and highlights. She took great delight in being the first to cut several of her grandchildren's hair.

She was active in Women in Timber being their secretary-treasurer and running their thrift store. She would always talk about the people she met especially from other states, She loved her “sisters” from this group and will be dearly missed by them. She was active with the school system helping with the Superior High School Booster Club long after her girls graduated. Their Galloping Pinochle parties were a huge hit! She made garters for the senior prom for her youngest's class of six girls.

Joann and Ed always welcomed their girls' friends and classmates to their home. Many being 'adopted' and going camping and fishing with them each summer, and she and the girls would travel each summer to wherever Ed was logging at the time. They even followed him to Alaska, coming home on the AlCan Highway.

After Ed retired, he always had a large vegetable garden, Joann would can everything he brought into the house. Many people thought it was her helping him, but he really had the green thumb.

Granny, as she was affectionately known, was preceded in death by her husband and three daughters, She is survived by her daughter Paula, son-in-law Jeff Peterson, nine grandchildren, soon-to-be 19 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson, her brothers George and Tommy and her sister Clara.

Funeral services are on June 18, 2022, at the Superior High School in Superior, Montana at 10 am. Light lunch to follow at the 4-H Building.

We would like to thank the staff at St. Pat's Hospital in Missoula for the excellent care given to Granny during the time she was there. We cannot say how much we appreciate your time and sympathy during her stay. Thank you to the Women in Timber and Superior Lion's Club for their help with her memorial.