Joann Burke (Laundre)

Joann Mary Burke (Laundre) passed away on August 16th, 2026, at the age of 80 from advanced dementia surrounded by her family, Pam Jahnke on the radio, and the sounds of her life’s passion, dairy cows.

Joann was the third eldest of Roland and Beatrice (Van Oss) Laundre’s seven children. Her childhood in Freedom, WI was filled with loving memories of farm life, which sparked her lifelong quest to create a dairy farm. She went on to graduate from Freedom High School where she was known for her love of books. Our mother was an avid reader. Her library ranged from classics like War and Peace, to the stacks of sultry Harlequin Romance novels that surrounded her reading chair. She was well known to start a book and then proceed to read the ending to determine if reading the book was “worth her time”. There even may have been several instances of high school book reports aided by our mother’s love of reading; the human version of CliffsNotes.

Our mother loved the holidays. It was an unwritten rule in her home that Thanksgiving required no less than five pies, and the number often approached a whole pie per person some years. She just could not exclude a pie that may be needed that day. The Christmas season involved a month-long process of making fudge, cookies, cakes, and chocolate candies. Every Christmas, she looked forward to the glee of her five children awakening to stacks of presents, which were always available no matter the financial strain that year.

Now finally to remember her true love, her passion…. her cows. Our mother rarely took the time to travel from her cows, but when she did, as soon as she arrived at her destination, she called to check on them. Every cow had a name and per our mother, you had to know the cow to milk the cow properly. Every year in July, the barn would be nearly emptied to travel to the Outagamie County Fair, which Sarah and her family continue to participate in every summer. She loved farming. All the cows she raised, and the lineage of cows originating from her farm, will miss our mother.

Therefore, to honor our mother, thank a farmer, join 4-H, read a book, cheer on the Packers, Brewers and Badgers and bake a plethora of pies.

Please join us in celebrating the life of Joann Burke (Laundre), aka Ma Burke, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. Mass will begin at 12 PM NOON at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, W2037 County Road S, Freedom, WI 54130. A time for family and friends to visit at pay respects will begin at 10 AM and will end at the time of the funeral service at church.

Proceeded in her death are her parents, Roland Laundre and Beatrice (Van Oss) Laundre, brother, John Laundre, brother-in-law, Ronald Seidl, and sister-in-law, Lucina Laundre (Hernandez), and nephew, Christopher Wildenberg.

She is survived by two daughters, Sarah Rasmussen (Burke) and Anna Burke (Eric Simon); three sons, David Burke (Jen McGuire), Robert Burke and James Burke; grandchildren, Jeffery (engaged to Justyne Svihlik), Trevor, Samantha, Logan, Oliver and Henry.