DASS, Joanne R. 1934-2024

DASS, GROSS, OELMANN

Posted By: Tammy Mount (email)
Date: 4/14/2025 at 14:29:09

Joanne Dass, 90, of Mason City and formerly of Ackley, passed away Thursday, November 21, 2024 at Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City. She will be laid to rest with a private family graveside inurnment at the East Friesland Cemetery, rural Ackley. Woodley Funeral Home and Crematory of Iowa Falls is caring for Joanne and her family.

Joanne Ruth Gross was born April 6, 1934, to Charles Edward Gross, Jr and Ellen Louisa (Oelmann) Gross. As a very young child, she and her mother Ellen moved to a farm in the rural Ackley -Wellsburg area to live with Joanne’s grandfather Anton Oelmann and Joanne’s Aunt Esther Oelmann Lindaman, husband Jake Lindaman and Joanne’s cousins Warren and Arnold Lindaman, who became as dear to her as brothers. She and her mother lived with the Lindaman Family until Joanne graduated from high school, after which she and her mother Ellen Gross moved to Iowa Falls, Iowa. Joanne worked at Northwestern Bell as a telephone operator for two years. On August 20, 1955, Joanne was united in marriage to Darrell Dass at East Friesland Presbyterian Church in rural Ackley. Joanne’s grandfather Anton Oelmann held an integral part in the founding of the church and all of her life Joanne and her family attended East Friesland, until she and Darrell left the area.

Darrell and Joanne farmed for 50 years near Faulkner, Iowa and lived just a mile from the woods of Blakes Grove, where Darrell was born. Joanne was not afraid of hard work, and she excelled at everything she put her hand to. She was an exceptional farm wife, canning, freezing, butchering chickens, cooking wonderful meals and gardening. She was an accomplished seamstress and for years sewed nearly all her clothes for herself and for her three daughters. She taught herself to quilt and made many superb pieces.

In order to supplement farming income during the cyclic lean times that the farm economy often encounters, Joanne became a top-selling Mary-Kay Cosmetics representative, twice earning the top sales prize for the use of a pink Cadillac for a year. She declined both times as pink Cadillacs do not fit an Iowa farm family lifestyle, not to mention the long bumpy gravel roads. One summer she and Darrell contracted to do custom hand de-tasseling for specialty variety corn, it was a family affair with the girls also walking the long hot rows. Farming is a learning experience, and all of the girls attend college to work in other areas, but hard work is a valuable lesson in any occupation.

Joanne was Sunday school teacher, bible school teacher and later she and Darrell were youth group leaders at East Friesland Church.

Darrell and Joanne also started buying and selling antiques privately and at antique shows at What Cheer, Iowa, Walnut, Iowa and the famed Gold Rush show in Rochester, Minnesota. This hobby in their later years became very joyful as they both loved people, visiting and finding valuable or rare pieces and learning their history. They loved to go to auctions, estate and garage sales and made many good friends in the business.

It was very difficult to let go of farming. Both Darrell and Joanne were very sad to leave their dear farming family friends and lifelong neighbors, area relatives, and East Friesland church family. They retired to Mason City, Iowa to be near to daughter Jan Dass Seeck and family and closer to Allison Dass Sathoff and her family in Mankato Mn.

They continued trading antiques at major shows until Darrell passed away in 2018. Joanne soon after moved into the Kentucky Ridge Assisted Living in Mason City where she lived for nearly seven years until shortly before her death. Daughter Jan Seeck was the primary care giver for both Darrell and Joanne through many health difficulties and was their absolute rock of support.

Survivors include three daughters, Lori (Neil) Dass McAndrews, Allison (Ed) Dass Sathoff and Jan (Jim) Dass Seeck; six grandchildren: Stephen and Kathryn McAndrews, Andrew (Holly)and Michael Sathoff, and Gannon and Carly Seeck.

The family is very grateful for the dedicated and professional caregivers at Kentucky Ridge Assisted Living, MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center and Good Shepard Care Center where later Joanne received hospice services. It was a great comfort to us that she received such good care.

Thank you to the relatives and friends who sent memorials, cards and flowers to the family. We ask that additional memorials to be sent to the food bank or charity of your choice.

In closing, we three daughters are grateful for both of our parents’ teaching us how to work hard, and for the value of seeking grace, humility and kindness in our behavior. Our parents taught us to think about taking care of the land and to reduce, reuse and recycle. These are Iowa and the Dass family values. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for everything.

--Woodley Funeral Home And Crematory (www.woodleyfuneralhome.com)