Joan McAuliffe

Joan Joy (Freitag) McAuliffe, 81, passed away on November 27,2021, surrounded by family at her home in Malin, after losing her battle with Leukemia. Joan was the youngest child of Irene Helen (McInerney) and John Herbert Freitag. She was born on March 12, 1940, in Albany, OR.  They moved to Malin in 1944. She graduated from Malin High School in 1958.  She met her future husband in 1953 and they married in May 1958.

Joan was a devoted wife and mother, and a devout Christian with unwavering faith. She cherished her family and friends.  She loved to sing and was active for many years in the church choir and was a lifelong member of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Merrill.

Joan and Jackie settled on the family farm, where, as life-long partners they farmed together many years.  Joan was never afraid to get her hands dirty and did whatever she needed to do to help. Together they raised 3 wonderful, productive children.  Her children and husband were the loves of her life as were her grandchildren.  As a family they enjoyed vacations, camping, water skiing at Shasta Lake, and snow skiing at Mt. Bachelor.  Later in life they enjoyed many years of golfing together.  Once her family was raised, she went to work as a Para-Professional at Malin Elementary. While working there, she touched the lives of many.  She was a natural with the students and knew how to reach them all.  She was a wonderful co-worker and gave of herself often, never asking for anything in return.  She was a truly humble spirit, always looking for the best in everyone. She retired in 2005, and, with Jackie, enjoyed the retired life.

Her hobbies included reading and she possessed a gift for writing poetry.  She loved to sing, and you would often hear her singing away as she performed daily tasks. But her biggest hobby was to give to, and please others.  If she had to make five different salads to please those that didn’t like something, she did it.  If it meant letting all the kids pull all the blankets off the beds to build forts, she smiled and cleaned up later.  Her laughter rang throughout.  She kept her life-long school buddies to the very end-always seeing the best in everyone.  Her biggest hobby was loving those close to her.  

She is survived by her children, Karla and husband Alan Farrington; Brian McAuliffe, Chris McAuliffe; grandchildren Kale, Catelin and Hunter Farrington; five great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews, as well as 4 sisters-in-law; Molly O’Keeffe, Kathleen Guthrie (Jim), Julie Carson (Greg), and Patricia McAuliffe.  Joan was preceded in death by her husband, Jackie, her parents John and Irene Freitag, her brother and sister-in-law Garry and Trudy Freitag. 

A mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Merrill on Saturday December 11,2021 at 11am. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will precede the mass at 10:30 am. A reception at the parish hall will follow Mass. Concluding services will be held at Mt Calvary Catholic Cemetery at 2pm. Please consider memorial contributions to St. Augustine Catholic Church or a charity of the donor's choice.