Joanne E. Marks

Joanne E. Marks, 81, of Oconomowoc, WI passed away peacefully on Wednesday, March 19, 2025 with her daughters by her side.

Joanne was born on March 10, 1944 in Ixonia, WI the daughter of John and Gladys (Sprague) Marks. 

Joanne is preceded in death by her parents, her sisters; Judy Schulte and Janet Marks, and her granddaughter Erica. 

She is survived by: her three children, Michael (Heidi) Annen, Michelle (Tom) Shaw and Mindy (John Brinkman) Annen all of Oconomowoc; her dear grandchildren, Jessica Annen of Lomira, Trevor Annen of Oconomowoc, Courtney (Jeremy) Schultz of Watertown, Nicole (Brett) Diedrich of Waukesha, Brittany (Andrew) Smith of Oconomowoc, Stephanie Annen of Oconomowoc, Samantha (Ryan) Mueller of Watertown, Nicholas Hansen of Ixonia, Morgan Simons of Cottage Grove, MN; her great-grandchildren, Liam, Nolan, Benjamin, Elliott, Matthew, Isaiah, and Eleanor. Her sister, Joyce (Glenn) Laird, her niece Jody (Gregg) Peter of Fort Atkinson and nephew Jeremy (Ashley) Laird of Whitewater. Joanne is also survived by other relatives and friends. 

Joanne was raised on a farm where she and her sisters enjoyed riding and showing horses. She worked at the Country Drive In in Ixonia for several years. She graduated from Oconomowoc High School with the class of 1962. Joanne was a payroll specialist at Kettle Moraine Hospital in Oconomowoc. When Joanne wasn’t working, she enjoyed bowling at Hartridge Lanes in Hartland and even appeared on the TV Show The Bowling Game which aired in Milwaukee. After raising her children, she moved to Coronado, CA and lived there for 16 years. Joanne worked as an office manager for a property management company. In her free time, she enjoyed riding her bike around the island, walking on the beach and spending time with her friends from E Avenue. 

After retirement she moved back to Oconomowoc to be with family where she spent her summers. Winters were not her favorite, so she spent them in Brooksville, FL where she met a lot of wonderful people and enjoyed playing Euchre and Dime Jingle. Joanne loved to travel and explore new places with friends by her side. Some of Joanne’s cherished memories were when her family visited her in CA and FL and the adventures they had exploring those states. She loved sitting on her deck drinking iced tea, watching sunsets and playing card games with family and friends.

She was a wonderful Mom, Grandma, and Gigi. She will be sincerely missed but forever remembered by those she leaves behind.

A Celebration of Life will be held to honor Joanne’s life at 3:00 PM on Thursday, April 3, 2025 at Thirst Church 1260 Brown Street in Oconomowoc, WI. Visitation will take place from 1:00 PM until the time of service at the church. Pastor Terry Fulks will officiate the service.

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to Azura Memory Care of Oconomowoc for the loving care they provided to our mom over the past five years. Also, we are thankful to Brighton Hospice for continuous care and grace throughout a difficult time.

Gibson Family Funeral Homes of Eagle and Palmyra, WI is serving the family. To place an online condolence please visit gibsonfuneral.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joanne E. Marks, please visit our floral store.