JoAnn Marion Fearing

JoAnn Marion Fearing

Our beloved JoAnn, age 67, began her journey to Eternal Life in the presence of loving family and her

dog Buddy, at home on June 12, 2024, after succumbing to metastatic colon cancer. It was a most

peaceful and gentle of deaths, so fitting for a person who exemplified gentleness, kindness and

thoughtfulness. JoAnn, the youngest of four daughters, was born in Hibbing on March 19, 1957, to

Marion (Kubena) and Walter Prebich. She received all her Sacraments at Blessed Sacrament

Catholic Church. She graduated from Hibbing High School in 1975, followed by further studies at

Hibbing Community College and St Cloud State University. She was married to Timothy Fearing on

Sept 10, 1977, and had 45 years of a loving marriage until his death from cancer in 2022.

JoAnn excelled in multiple jobs over her career including employment at the IRS, Baune-Dosen CPA

Firm, Abe Mathews, and Norwest/Wells Fargo Banks in Hibbing/Grand Rapids (business banker and

commercial lender). Her last 15 years of work were at Electric Power Door where she performed

bookkeeping duties, payroll, and much more. She was a valued and trusted employee. She was

motivated, intelligent and learned new technology easily. She retired early from Electric Power Door

to care for her husband but continued to help as able at the business.

JoAnn loved the outdoors, treasuring the peaceful stillness of nature in every season. She would fish,

hunt, walk, or use the ski trails cut through their forested land north of Nashwauk, with Tim and a

beloved golden retriever by her side. She cherished her family and friends. She was a treasured

wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend. Although JoAnn never had children, she poured

maternal love into those around her, especially her nieces and nephews and their children. Always

the first to send a happy birthday text or a handmade card, her thoughtfulness was unmatched. She

loved to capture memories through video and film which she had perfectly organized on her hard

drive, then shared them at a moment’s notice to make her family smile with nostalgia.

Her daily prayer life allowed her to persevere in her cancer treatments with dignity, grace, humor and

hope, yet be realistic in her prognosis.

She was preceded in death by her husband Tim, father Walter Prebich, brother-in-law Robert (Bojo)

Lenes, Tim’s parents Sadie and Cliff Fearing, brother-in-law Cliff Fearing, niece Kelli (Fearing)

Steward and dogs Kalo and Drew.

She is survived by her mother Marion (age 92), sisters Therese (Bob) Ivanca, Rosey (Dan) Skorich,

and Christine (Sunny) Thompson, sister-in-law Donna Fearing, brothers-in-law Larry (Sharon

Mercogliano) and Dennis (Marilee) Fearing, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and her dog Buddy.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Blessed Sacrament Church (2310 7th Ave E, Hibbing MN) on

Friday, June 28, at 11 am with visitation beginning at 10 am. A lunch gathering will occur following

the Mass at the Church Hall. Fr Daniel Weiske will officiate. Arrangements by Dougherty Funeral

Home, Hibbing MN. The event will be livestreamed on both the Dougherty Funeral Home and the

Blessed Sacrament websites. In lieu of flowers, please offer a Mass for JoAnn’s soul at any Catholic

church.  Please join the mass through livestream that can be accessed through JoAnn's obit on this web page.

JoAnn’s family expresses deep gratitude to the following: Fr Daniel and Mary Jane who brought

spiritual blessings and the Eucharist to JoAnn during her journey, Dr. Daniel Nikcevich and staff,

especially in Deer River, for their exceptional care, Ann, Taylor, and Zachary from the excellent

Fairview Hospice team for their compassionate and generous hearts, Alex at the Fairview Medical

Supply Co, and Reilly at Dougherty Funeral Home. We also thank all whose thoughts and prayers

supported JoAnn during her illness.

It is impossible to paint a portrait of JoAnn’s life and spirit in a short obituary. She was a humble,

grateful, dedicated, independent, curious, and unassuming person, beautiful in heart and soul,

extremely generous in time and finances, with an unshakable, positive outlook on life. She always

went out of her way to support family, friends, and colleagues with whom she shared her gift of

practical knowledge, kindness, and wisdom. She loved and was greatly loved. She had a deep

relationship with Jesus and knew that she was going to join Him in Eternal Life where suffering and

sorrow will cease. For those of us left behind, our hearts are broken until we meet again.