Joan McGillis

Joan Carol McGillis, age 87, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at Sanford Health Fargo on Tuesday, July 10, 2018. Joan was born on July 2, 1931 to George and Annie (Christianson) Ramberg in Silver Creek, NE. She graduated from Edmore High School in 1949. On January 27, 1950 Joan was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart, Don McGillis. She received her Teaching Certificate from Mayville State College and graduated from Moorhead State University with a minor in Art. She taught in Karlstad, MN for four years, then she moved to Fargo, ND where she taught for a year at Hawthorne Elementary. From there Joan went to Lancaster, MN where she taught for two years before moving to Wheaton, MN where she taught for three more years. Joan then taught at Glyndon, MN for 26 years before retiring in 1993. After her retirement she continued to reside in Detroit Lakes, MN and lived for several years in St. Cloud, MN before moving to Moorhead, MN where she had most recently lived the past several years. When Joan was 22 years old, she was named Mrs. North Dakota and that same year she was also runner-up at the National Mrs. America Pageant. The following year she again won the title of Mrs. North Dakota, the only person to ever win that title in two consecutive years. Joan enjoyed the arts especially oil painting. Joan was a loving mother of her four children: sons Greg McGillis, Little Falls, MN and Bryce (Dawn) McGillis, West Fargo, ND and daughters Dawn (Brian) Ulrich, St. Cloud, MN and Andrea McGillis-Steinmetz (Danny), Detroit Lakes, MN. In addition, she is survived by 17 Grandchildren and 12 Great Grandchildren. Joan is also survived by her sister Georgia Robb and brother Jerry Ramberg. She was very fond of her many nieces and nephews. Joan was preceded in death by her husband Don, brother Brian Ramberg and Great Grandson David Kasin, Jr. Celebration of Life Service: 10 AM Saturday, July 21, 2018 at Boulger Funeral Home in Fargo