Joan Dudden
Joan Marae (Hahn) Dudden, 81, of Venango, Nebraska, died and departed earth life on Dec. 11, 2021, at the Ivy Lane Assisted Living Group Home in Surprise, Arizona. She has now found peace after suffering an almost eight-year battle with Parkinson’s and dementia.
Joan was born March 20, 1940, along with her identical twin, Jean Marie (Hahn) Lovrinic, at their farm home near Hamlet, Nebraska, to Pauline (Gautschi) and Jesse “Jack” Hahn, attended by their aunt Doris (Hahn) Brady, an RN practicing in Imperial, Nebraska.
Joan attended elementary school in Hamlet in a two-room school, high school at Wauneta, Nebraska, Bachelor of Education degree in English and speech at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Master of Education degree in guidance counseling at University of Colorado.
Joan and Dick met at college in Lincoln and married on Aug. 24, 1958. Son Brent was born June 27, 1960. During their 63 years together, they lived in Lincoln, Venango, Boulder, Denver and Ogallala, Nebraska, and in 2002 retired to Venango.
Joan started her teaching career as an English teacher at South High School in Denver and was immediately promoted to assistant dean of women. She remained for five years, moving to Ogallala in 1968, and became guidance counselor for Paxton and Grant for 10 years.
She retired from education and became a business woman and office manager in Ogallala, school board member and active member of her Ogallala community. After retirement, Joan enjoyed the summers in Venango and winters in Sun City, Arizona.
Joan was an avid cook, baker, gardener, traveler and charity worker for her communities. She especially enjoyed beautifying her communities with flowers.
Survivors include her husband, Dick; son, Brent Dudden and wife Sandra of Tempe, Arizona; twin sister, Jean Lovrinic and husband Bill; sister, Valerie of Westminster; brothers-in-law, Perry Dudden and wife Lasca and Todd Dudden and wife Tina of Grant, Nebraska; two grandchildren, Taj Dudden of Tempe and Tara Campbell and husband Steve; great-grandson, Nolan of Surprise, Arizona; niece, Lisa Jill Keefer and husband Steve of Aurora; nephew, John Grant and wife Mona of Westminster; adopted daughter, Ana Kohlmann of Lucerne, Switzerland; adopted son, Michael Bowman of Pasadena, California; goddaughter, Anne Spinks of Houston, Texas; and godson, Gregory Richard Toft of Durham, North Carolina.
Joan was preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Pauline Hahn; parents-in-law, Garrett and Martha Jane Dudden; and brother-in-law, John Grant
Joan was cremated. Her remains will be partially spread on her parents’ graves in Hamlet and interred in the Dudden family site in Venango in the summer.
A Celebration of Life will be held Wednesday, Jan. 16, at Joan’s winter home in Sun City and in Venango this summer.
Memorials are suggested to the Kenfield Petrified Wood Gallery, 418 E. 1st St., Ogallala, NE 69153, or your favorite charity.