JoAnn Marie Paterson Lloyd Dierkson, 85, of Spearfish, died peacefully surrounded by her loved ones on Thursday, July 23 ^rd , 2020.

JoAnn was born November 20, 1934 in Sioux Falls SD. JoAnn was raised with her two brothers, Chuck and Bill and sister, Marilu in Watertown, SD by her parents, Charles and Catherine Paterson. She graduated from Watertown High School in 1951. JoAnn followed in her Mother's footsteps attending Sioux Valley Hospital School of Nursing in Sioux Falls. While in school, she met and married Arnold Lloyd on November 14 ^th , 1954. To this union were born four children: Barbara Jo, Cindy, Wayne and Sheri. Her greatest joy in passing was to be able to hold her daughter Barb in heaven along with the others who passed before her.

On February 14 ^th , 1982 JoAnn was joined in marriage to Gordon Dierkson. From this union she gained three sons and two daughters: Terry, Merry, Larry, Gary and Nikki. Along with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

JoAnn's lifelong passion was caring for others. She worked as a Registered Nurse at Sioux Valley Hospital after graduating with a Diploma in Nursing in 1954. JoAnn and Arnie moved to New Ulm, Minnesota where their four children were born. She met and kept lifelong friends there. In 1965, they moved to DeSmet, SD where she would work at the De Smet Hospital as a Registered Nurse. JoAnn then became the Kingsbury County Public Health Nurse. Sheri has fond memories of being with her mom in her office "helping" to take care of people, which led Sheri to become a Registered Nurse. Wayne also received his BSN and was a Registered Nurse like his grandmother, mother, and sister. JoAnn also worked in several long-term care facilities in the area. She "never met a stranger" and developed lifelong friends who became family, wherever she went. JoAnn "adopted" many area youths who all called her mom and cherished her greatly. Family was always the most important thing to JoAnn.

Gordon and JoAnn would winter in La Ferria, Texas after retirement extending their "family" to all of the United States. They would "go home" for the summer to DeSmet until 2018 when their health began to decline, and they moved to Spearfish to be closer to JoAnn's daughters – Cindy and Sheri who lovingly cared for JoAnn.

Grateful in sharing her life are her husband, Gordon; her two daughters, Cindy and Sheri and her son, Wayne (Jen) Lloyd. JoAnn's stepchildren whom she loved greatly were Nikki (Craig) Nichols and Terry, Larry (Linda), and Gary (Machelle) Dierkson. JoAnn had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren that were the light of her eye's. JoAnn was preceded in death by her daughter, Barbara Jo and great-grandson Christopher Wayne, whom she has now joined in heaven.

As her family made calls to notify her friends of her passing, they realized her family extended to all over the United States as well as Hawaii and Alaska. With the pandemic and the sheer distance of family & friends the family would like to share a virtual tribute to JoAnn's life with all that loved her. The link to JoAnn Dierkson Celebration of Life (you tube video) is https://bit.ly/3jMPHxu .   There will be a graveside service on Saturday, September 5 ^th at 2:00 PM at the De Smet, SD cemetery.   Condolences may be sent to JoAnn's family at Sheri Spaans, 920 State Street, Spearfish, SD 57783.