Johanna "Jo" Mutschall, 91, of Aberdeen died Thursday Nov. 8, 2012, at Avera Dougherty Hospice Home in Sioux Falls, S.D. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012, at Zion Lutheran Church of Aberdeen. Pastor Tanya Rist will be officiating. Burial will follow at Riverside Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday, Nov. 12, at Spitzer-Miller Funeral Home, 1111 S. Main St., Aberdeen, from 1 to 7 p.m., with family present from 5 to 7 p.m.
Johanna was born April 7, 1921, in Napoleon, N.D., to Anton and Veronica (Lauinger) Fettig. At the age of 23, she moved to Aberdeen, where she met Reinhold Jakober, marrying him in 1948. Together, they operated a gravel hauling business until his death in 1966. She worked for Gibson's and married F.P. Mutschall in 1974 at Granada Hills, Calif. They retired and moved back to South Dakota in 1976. She became a widow for the second time in 2000.
During her retirement, she babysat her great-grandchildren from infancy until they reached school age. Somehow, despite her growing age, she was able to keep up with their unfailing energy.
Her passions were her granddaughters and great-grandchildren's activities, especially the baseball games, attending as many as five a week this past summer. She also enjoyed bowling with great friends, up until her illness. She was a spunky person with a zest for life - trying to ride a bike and water-ski in her 50s and continuing to bowl in her 90s.
With a warm smile, Jo shared her love with all around her. Competitively, she would play a ferocious game of cards, winning many of her games. She continued to drive, cook, clean and be largely independent until she became ill. Her family will miss her laughter and beautiful heart, though her light will shine on in their memories.
She is survived by her daughter, Darlene (Dalvin) Golz of Sioux Falls, S.D.; granddaughters: Debra (Rick) Weber of Aberdeen and Deann Golz of Sacramento, Calif.; great-grandchildren: Alyssa, Victoria, Eric, and Christopher Weber; stepdaughter, Myra (Ray) Pelletier and family; sisters: Eva Feist, Mary (Tony) Schneider, Betty Keller, Kathy (Don) Norris, all of Oregon; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers: Steve Fettig and Wendelin Fettig; her sister, Marge Rowlands; her husbands and one infant.
Honorary pallbearers will be her great-grandchildren and her bowling friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to be directed to the family for donations to Johanna's favorite charities.
spitzerfuneralhome.com