Joan Valeria (Yedlicka) Andersen

Joan Valeria (Yedlicka) Andersen passed away peacefully in her sleep on Saturday evening, July 29• Joan was born on January 22, 1937 in the house her grandfather built in Fromberg, MT. She grew up on the ranch and attended school in Fromberg. She graduated from Eastern Montana College with a degree in Elementary Education and taught in Casper, WY and Billings for several years. She married Martin Andersen on June 17, 1961 and went on to follow him as he worked as a ranger for the National Park Service, living in Yellowstone NP while he worked as a seasonal and later at Death Valley, Grand Junction, Petrified Forest, Grand Canyon. San Diego and finally 29 Palms, CA. Along the way they added a son. Victor and a daughter, Susan to their family. In 1986, Marty retired and they returned to Fromberg where she resumed the job she loved, teaching. Joan enjoyed taking part in many community groups including the Fromberg United Methodist Church, Order of Eastern Star Cornelius Hedges Chapter, Republican Central Committee and the Clarks Fork Valley Museum. She went on to serve 4 terms in the Montana House of Representatives representing Carbon County. She was proud of the many places she served but she said her favorite job ever was working as the director of a preschool in 29 Palms and teaching small children. Joan and Marty moved to Stevensville, MT in 2017 to live with their daughter, Susan and her family. After Marty passed away in 2018, she became active in the local community playing bridge with different groups, pursuing her love of politics with Ravalli County Republican Women, and various other activities. In December 2019 she suffered what appeared to be a slight stroke, but that led to a diagnosis of vascular dementia. She remained at home with Susan and her family until June of this year when she moved to Footsteps Memory Care in Missoula. Joan is survived by her son, Victor (Janel) Andersen of Arvada, CO and her daughter, Susan (Randall) Peterson of Stevensville, MT along with her grandchildren. Her family would like to thank all the caregivers who worked with us for the last several years to help keep her at home as long as possible and the staff at Footsteps Memory Care for the care they gave her while she was with them. Special thanks to her longtime caregivers, Lorri and Loreen who took such great care of her for this last stage of her life. No services are planned at this time. Memorials can be made to Fromberg United Methodist Church or the Clarks Fork Valley Museum.

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