Joanne Watson

Watson, Joanne Carol
"Shoney"
Born on April 7th, 1936
Died on January 6th, 2012
My obituary was written by myself. I have no parents, siblings or children to do it for me. So dear friends I wish I could say goodbye to each of you individually, but that is not to be. I just want you to know I love you and will miss you. I hope you will miss me as well. I was born April 7th, 1936 at the old Anker hospital to Robert James Watson and Mary Jane (Janie Watson) Gaspardo in St. Paul, Minnesota. I was raised by my loving mom. I had one brother, Robert David Watson born two years after me. He died in December of 1995. My paternal grandparents, were John and Mary (McCarthy) Watson of St. Paul. My maternal grandparents were Huram and Edith (Johnson) Rouse of Seattle. I graduated from Villa Maria Academy Grade School and High School in Frontenac, Minnesota in 1954. Except for my boarding school years I lived in St. Paul and Oakdale my whole life with the exception of 14 winters spent in Sun City, Arizona. I worked at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch for over 37 years. I also worked at the Emporium Dept. Store, the Civic Center, Snyder's and Hafner's Restaurant to help pay for the 12 trips I took to Europe seeing over 25 countries. I traveled extensively in the United States going many places four and five times. The love of my life, besides my mom, was Harry Bernard Hite who died in 1984. We went together for 15 years. Many of the things I loved to do included reading, League of Women Voters, planning and giving parties, D.F.L. I was the president of Villa Maria Alumnae Association twice and I held other positions on the board. I also was a labor union negotiator and steward for the D.P.P. Newspaper Guild. I enjoyed being a clown in the St. Paul Winter Carnival. I loved to play on the computer, going to movies and plays, playing bridge and Mah Jongg. I had many collections such as stamps, coins, buttons, match book covers, miniatures, antiques and my very famous toilet paper collection from around the world. The most important thing in my life was all of my friends, namely, Marilyn Ann Dondelinger, Delores and Frank Seidl, Maureen Ryan, Lorraine Schmidt, Patti Gibbs, Marietta Joyce, Alice Martin, Kathy Bloom, Tom and Kathy Gardner, Craig Gardner, Dixie Hatcher, Virginia Davis, Gladys Grabowski, Ken Genz and Beth Petrick, Kevin Walker, Donna Hanzel, Geri Woodbeck, Betty Samuel, Carol Ann and Harold Seifert, Geri Kreisel, Lauri and Jay Bruber, Donna and Jim Limoseth, Gordy Jones, Lori Libby, Kathy Swadner, Jane Young, Veronica Gibbons James, Marlene and Chuck Wilson, Kathy Williams, Cheryl Johnson, Dolores Sauvageau, Angela Bush, Chuck Levenburg, Ruth Tacheny, Craig Baumen, Donna and Tom Lamson, Marva Bunch, Bobbie McHale, Michael Hall and Tony DelPercio. Also, special thanks to so many of my friends and relatives for the care given to me these past few years, including Lori Hockenberger from Davita and my cousin John Watson and his wife Jean. So many many of my friends have died before me and I am looking forward to seeing them all again. I am preceded in death by my beloved mother and best friend, Mary Jane (Janie) Gaspardo and my father, Robert James Watson. I leave behind my dear sister Jean Vanous (Ronald) of Lakewood, Colorado and her two sons, Andrew and Christopher and their families; step brother James Gaspardo (Mary Lee) of Wisconsin and his three children, Marie, Tony and Lynn and families; my niece Susan Marie (Richmond) French of Michigan and her three children, Parker, twins Payton and Carson; my aunt Virginia Sheldon; cousins Carol, Mike, Scott, Karen, Jim, Nancy, Kathy, Jim and Bruce; and many other friends and relatives. My wake will be for two days (so no excuse not to come) on Friday from 3-8PM and Saturday 9-11AM at BRADSHAW, 1078 Rice Street, St. Paul. Service will be Saturday at 11AM at BRADSHAW. Burial will be immediately following the service, next to my dear mother at Roselawn Cemetery in Roseville. After the burial a big party will be held at the Cherokee Sirloin Room (on Smith and Annapolis) to celebrate my life. Eulogies are welcome. If you knew me please come.