Joanne H. Robinson, 86, of Quartzsite, Arizona died on July 8, 2017 at her home. Joanne Joyce Hagen was born March 29, 1931 to Oscar and Dora Hagen (Germanson) of Clintonville, Wisconsin. She was named Katherine Marie Hagen after her two grandmothers. Her sister, Jeanne, who was eight years old at the time, did not like the name. So unbeknownst to their mother, Jeanne called the attending physician, Dr. Murphy, and had the name changed to Joanne Joyce. What a surprise when the Hagens received the birth certificate in the mail!

Joanne married D. Bruce Robinson on January 2, 1976 at the little glass church in Westchester, California. Bruce preceded her in death on May 16, 2005. Joanne was also preceded in death by her parents, sister Jeanne, and brother-in-law Warren Snider. Joanne is survived by a niece, Mary Bratton of Los Angeles, California, nephews John Snider of Waupaca, Wisconsin and Tom Snider of Winneconne, Wisconsin, as well as grandnieces, grandnephews and many cousins in the United States, Canada and Germany.

Joanne led a most interesting and full life. It was said that Joanne could sing before she could talk and sing she did! When Joanne was twelve years old, she became the organist at the Methodist Church in Clintonville. Prior to that time, she sang at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, for the Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour. After that she was invited back to sing at the Chicago Civic Opera House for a Soldiers' Benefit Show. After High School graduation in 1948, Joanne headed for the "big city" of Milwaukee and sang every Sunday for a yeat on TV VARIETIES, WTMJ-TV. Then on to Washington, DC where she was employed by the Government at the Pentagon. Her adventures then took her to New York City, where she continued her voice studies while working at CalTex Oil Company on Fifth Avenue. Her dad told her that a rolling stone gathers no moss, but that didn't stop Joanne. She then moved to beautiful Connecticut where she sang with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. While in Connecticut, she also worked for Pratt & Whitney and United Aircraft. After a brief return to Clintonville, Joanne moved to sunny California where she met and married Bruce Robinson.

After living at the beach when it was still "young" and before the influx of people flowed in faster than the waves from the ocean, Joanne and Bruce retired from Howard Hughes' Aircraft Company in 1986 and moved to a beautiful ranch in Hart Flat, Keene, California. What a wonderful experience with people who also appreciated the beauty and the kind of simple living it offered, and of course, horses, goats, mules, cats, doggies, etc. It was a life and a place that was exceptional and incomparable. After eleven years at the ranch, they realized they would soon have to give in to the fact that a smaller place was in order. So, in their RV travels, they found Quartzsite, Arizona! They sold the ranch and made Quartzsite their home.

Prior to leaving the ranch, Joanne was able, after much advertising, to find and meet her German relatives in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and in Canada. This was truly an event. Then, after seven years of Bible study while at the ranch, Joanne was baptized at Bakersfield, California in 1997 as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Joanne always thanked the Almighty God Jehovah for a most interesting and wonderful life. In her own words, "Oh, the memoires, the happy ones and even the sad ones; how I look forward to the day when things will be even more wonderful because, as we learned and sang when we were children, "the Bible tells us so".

Joanne has requested that after she leaves this world, and if you remember her, don't put any flowers on her grave. Just give some food and water to a stray animal and treat it with tenderness and love. Also, in lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to an animal shelter of your own choosing.

Joanne's wishes were to be buried in her hometown of Clintonville, Wisconsin.