Joanne K. Harder

Joanne K. Harder, age 81 of Bay Port, passed away Friday, May 25, 2012 at Brian's House in Bay City.
Born in Bay Port on July 2, 1930, she was the daughter of the late Lee and Mary (Avery) Dutcher, and graduated from Bay Port High School in 1948. She and Duane S. Harder were united in marriage on July 8, 1950 in the Bay Port Methodist Church. He preceded her in death on February 6, 2010.
Joanne had attended Central Michigan College in Mt. Pleasant. She worked at the Caro Regional Center as a Program Aid, Head Start Counselor and Nurses Aid. She loved music, singing in the church and community choirs and playing the piano and organ. She and Duane enjoyed attending plays. They went through two different motor homes traveling and visiting family and friends. She enjoyed reading and playing puzzles - jigsaw, crossword, and Suduko. Her entire family was extremely important to her; she was the family historian and knew the history of her extended family. Her church, Alanon, the people she worked with, and her Regional Center client children were very important to her. She was very supportive of her hometown, Bay Port, and everything that happened within her community.
Joanne was an active member of the Bay Port United Methodist Church and Sunday School.
She is survived by her children: Terese Gnagey and her husband Alvin of Bay Port, Joel Harder and his wife Kristine of Croswell, Neil Harder and his wife Regina of Caseville, and Mark Harder and his wife Lisa of El Paso, Texas. Also surviving are 18 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; several nieces and nephews; two sisters-in-law; and many friends. In addition to her husband and her parents, she was preceded in death by a great-grandson David and two brothers, Gary and Donald.
A Memorial Service will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 at the Bay Port United Methodist Church with Rev. Bruce Nowacek, pastor, officiating.
Memorials may be made to Brian's House or Bay Port United Methodist Church.