NEWMAN – Jo Ann Rund, 81, of Newman, passed away Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2018, at Carle Hospital, Urbana.
A funeral service is 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11, at Joines Funeral Home. Burial follows at Payne Cemetery, located on the corner of what was her parent’s farm, just a stroll from where she was raised. Visitation is from 1 p.m. until the service time Sunday at the funeral home.
Mrs. Rund was born born July 15, 1936, near Brocton, the daughter of the late Doit and Lenora Hall Spittler. She married Donald Rund March 10, 1956, and he preceded her in death after 45 years of marriage.
She is survived by her son, Doug (Nadine Warfel) Rund, Tolono; grandson, Joshua, (Ellen Vandeventer) Rund and their son, Harrison Lynn, all of Tolono; and grandson, Lucas Rund, of Nashville, Tenn.
She was preceded in death by her sister, Virginia (John) Barker.
Mrs. Rund grew up on her parents’ farm with her sister Virginia. She graduated from Brocton High School in 1954. She attended Eastern Illinois University but her education was interrupted by tuberculosis and she spent several months in the Outlook Sanitarium at Urbana. She later worked for a short time at the Edgar County Bank in Paris.
After marriage, the couple lived in Crestview, Fla., for a short time while he completed military service before settling down at their home south of Newman. They farmed and kept house there for the next several decades while raising their son.
Mrs. Rund was an exceptional housekeeper and organizer. She sewed, knitted, crocheted and quilted making many dresses, Halloween costumes, booties, sweaters and quilts. She enjoyed playing bunch with her dear friends and Thursday quilt club sessions at Walnut Point.
An avid mushroom hunter, Mrs. Rund counted the days until spring when she could grab her favorite mushroom stick and head to the woods. She loved Wisconsin and the beach, but her heart was and always will be at home on the small farm in Douglas County. She loved to trim the bushes just so and fertilize and cultivate her flowers. She loved to mow her yard and kept it immaculate as long as she was able, often calling mowing her therapy.
She was a daughter, sister, wife, in-law, aunt, mother, mother in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She fought through more than her share of medical issues and yet was often called upon to be the rock and save the day. She loved her friends and family dearly and will be a cherished soul that will not be forgotten.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or to the American Diabetes Association.