Joanna Mary LaGrace

Joanna Mary LaGrace passed from this earth on Sunday, February 27, 2022. She was born on February 17, 1939 to Kermit Orin Burke and Norma May Lundquist Burke in Malad, Idaho.

She spent her younger years in Southern Idaho and Utah before her family settled in Southern California. She graduated from Huntington Park high school in 1956.

After high school she married the man she would share her life with for the next 65 years. She and Robert LaGrace were married on August 10, 1956 in Huntington Park, CA.

They began their family in October of 1957 with the arrival of daughter Randia. She would be blessed with three more children, Brenda, Jesse and Celeste.

Joanna’s main mission in life was to support her husband, raise her children and care for their home. The LaGrace family moved to Sandpoint in the spring of 1969 to their home on N. Boyer where she lived until her passing.

Joanna wore many hats throughout her life. She was a Girl Scout leader, den mother, 4-H leader, gardener, and seamstress. In fact, she made her own wedding dress. As circumstances dictated Joanna would occasionally work outside of the home. She worked at Schweitzer and was the first woman to drive the Thiokol snow groomer towing skiers from the lodge to the Baby Bear run.  She also worked at Silverwood in the gift shop with her sister, Barbara Gooby. She also taught many of the local children how to swim in the family pool and held water aerobics classes for the women.

She enjoyed fishing, snow skiing, traveling, gardening, needlepoint, swimming, and most of all Christmas. Decorating the home could take weeks and one tree was never enough.

She is survived by her husband Robert, children Randia (Don) Lincoln, WA, Jesse LaGrace (Chrissy), Priest River, and Celeste Winterroth, Sandpoint. Five grandchildren, Jenny (Edgar) Quinones, Corrine (Chad) Smith, Janell Malakowsky, Robert (Brandi) Bigsby and William (Ellie) Fowler. 14 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Barbara Gooby and Beverly Hammond, and her daughter Brenda LaGrace.

Funeral services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Sandpoint, Idaho on March 19, 2022 at 11:00 AM. Viewing will be held prior to the service starting at 10:00 AM. A live streaming of the service will be available to those unable to attend. http://mywebcast.churchofjesuschrist.org/sandpointidahostake