Joanne was born and raised on the Bunge family farm in Redwood Falls, MN. She graduated from Grinnell College in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts in music and a minor in speech. Joanne married in 1957 and dedicated herself to raising her two sons in Bloomington, Minnesota, and began her many years volunteering in the community. She chaired the Family Education Center, was the project manager for the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce for the Mall of America, and was on the board of directors for the Bloomington Fine Arts Development Council.
Joanne moved back to Grinnell in 1990 to become the Director of Planned Giving for Grinnell College. In 1995, she became the Development Director for the Grinnell Regional Medical Center.
After retirement in 2001, Joanne followed her passion for learning, with the 2007 establishment of the Community Education Council (CEC) comprised of charter members Grinnell College, GRMC, Grinnell Schools, and The Mayflower Community. She chaired the council until 2016.
She also created the Seniors Education Program, and founded the local “Bucket Courses” that invited local experts to lecture on various subjects for the continued education of seniors. Out of the many contributions to her communities throughout her life, the “Bucket Courses” was one that brought her a great deal of joy.
Joanne is survived by her two sons; Brad Fisher and Steven Fisher, their wives and four grandchildren. Joanne is also survived by a brother, Donald Bunge `50. She was very proud of her family’s legacy at Wayland, often honoring and memorializing her father Louis O. Bunge 1913; her aunts, Dorothea A. Bunge 1912 and Hannah M. Bunge 1913; and uncle, Benjamin Bunge 1915.