Obituary of Joanne Trenker Musselman

Joanne Trenker Musselman passed away peacefully on August 12, 2018, in Olympia, Washington.  Joanne was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 28, 1932 to her beloved parents, Elsie Trenker Midgley and Calvin Paul Midgley, MD.  She graduated from Antioch High School in Antioch, Illinois and attended BYU. 

 

Born during the Depression, Joanne had many talents rooted in the survival skills necessary for those who were raised in that era, including designing and sewing clothing for her family, and becoming adept at shopping, cooking, and couponing.  She was skilled at finding local sources of food, canning and preserving fruits and berries gleaned from abandoned fields and fruit trees. 

 

Joanne also possessed a beautiful singing voice, was talented on the piano, wrote a full-length children’s book, and was creative with crafts and painting.  Her life experiences also included teaching conversational English in Japan and Korea.  She loved the mountains and loved singing along with her favorite musicals. 

 

She is survived by her sisters, Wendy T. Midgley and Melody (Gerald) Armstrong, and numerous nieces and nephews; children, Annalee (Jim) Gause, Rex (Terri) Schlegel, Chet (Jolynn) Schlegel, Deanna (John) Grant, Roy (Michele) Schlegel, and David (Sylvia) Musselman; 22 grandchildren; and 32 great-grandchildren. 

 

The family would like to thank the caring and supportive staff at Olympia Transitional Healthcare and Rehabilitation for all their kind and professional help. 

 

A private graveside ceremony was held August 15, 2018, at the Oddfellows Cemetery in Tumwater, Washington. 

 

In her memory, please consider donating to the National Alliance on Mental Illness—NAMI—at https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Donate.

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