Joan Neidhardt, 86, Dickinson, formerly of the Richardton area, died Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007, at St. Joseph's Hospital and Health Center, Dickinson.
Joan's Mass of Christian burial is at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 24, 2007, at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Richardton, with the Rev. Boniface Muggl celebrating.
Interment is in the Kyseth Cemetery, Marshall.
Visitation is from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Sunday at Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson, with a vigil at 7 p.m. with Deacon Ralph Stockert presiding.
Visitation continues one hour prior to service at the church.
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Joan Cecelia Neidhardt was born Sept. 23, 1920, in Richardton, the daughter of Arthur and Elizabeth (VonRuden) Bierig.
She completed 12 years of education, graduating from Taylor High School.
Joan married Albert Neidhardt on March 19, 1939, and worked with him farming and ranching on her place of birth, which they purchased from her dad in the early 1940s.
Joan and Albert bought and used one of the first movie cameras, filming farm scenes, rodeos and later with the modern cameras, enjoyed enlarging and framing sunsets.
She was also an accomplished horsewoman, and pianist. She would play the piano for hours - playing some of the latest hits after purchasing music sheets.
Joan was known in the community for baking the best caramel rolls, and always had a pan ready for morning coffee for her and dad and any one who would show up.
Joan sold Tupperware products for nearly 20 years, winning a new car in the early 60s. She organized the first girl's 4-H Club in Dunn County, and served as leader.
She was very active in her local Home Makers Club for many years.
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Joan worked to have a source of funds for the mentally challenged, starting at first having rummage sales in her home, and finally building a new facility now known as the Dickinson ARC-AID Thrift Shop, which sells donated clothing with proceeds used to support programs for the mentally challenged. She drove over 100 miles a day every week to manage the shop for 25 years. She trained over 50 volunteers to sort items for sale and determined the prices for each and every item arriving from donators.
Joan was always involved in a community or church related project. Early in her years as a young mother, she helped raise funds for the purpose of remodeling the church basement into a kitchen for fall dinners.
She was a member of the St. Martin's Catholic Church, Dodge, and at present, she was a member of St. Mary's Church, Richardton.
She was also a member of the Association for Retarded Children. She was also selected as State Merit Mother of the year in 1978, enjoying the hospitality dinner at the governor's mansion.
She always worked hard and stayed very active.
She is survived by her daughter, Joyce (Mel) Gress, Mandan; three sons, Terry, Alexander, Larry, Bismarck, and Jeff (Kaye), Fountain Hills, Ariz.; 13 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Ruby Dolliver, Yakima, Wash.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Albert; three children, Ruby Hoff, Don Neidhardt and Jim Neidhardt; one great-granddaughter, Cody Gress, her sisters, Alice Heckel-Koenig and Elaine Koesel; and a brother, Art Bierig.
(Ladbury Funeral Service, Dickinson)
