Joan Ruth Keller, age 92, of Owatonna, passed away on Monday, December 15, 2025, with her daughter and son-in-law by her side. She was born on September 17, 1933, at her home on Rice Lake Road in Owatonna, the daughter of Erick and Ruth (Hass) Eschenbach. Joan spent her entire life in Owatonna, attending kindergarten at the Little Red School House on Main Street, grade school at McKinley School, and graduating from Owatonna High School in 1951. She started working full-time at Security Bank and Trust Co. the day after graduating and continued to work there until 1963.

Joan married Robert John Keller on August 10, 1952, at St. John Lutheran Church in Owatonna and were blessed with 52 years of marriage until his passing. They enjoyed going to dances, traveling, going for walks, and getting together with family and friends. In her later years, Joan enjoyed baking goodies and sharing them with family and friends. She worked on crossword puzzles, fill-it-in puzzles, find a word puzzles, and playing solitaire. Joan fed the birds and squirrels and enjoyed watching their activities.

Faith was important to Joan, she was baptized on November 5, 1933, and confirmed on June 29, 1947, both at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Owatonna. She was an active member at St. John Lutheran Church; teaching Sunday school, acting as treasurer for WELCA for many years, helping serve funeral lunches, was a member of a circle, and worked at the Market Place when it first started. In 2006, Joan joined a second church and became a member of Zwingli United Church of Christ in Berne. Joan was an active member there as well, attending a weekly bible study and helping prepare coffee and goodies to serve before church, until her health did not permit it. She had helped with the bake sales hosted during the annual turkey dinner and Swiss Fest, until they were discontinued, then moving on to helping with pizza nights until the pandemic and her health started failing.

Joan was a volunteer at Homestead Hospice House, volunteered for the Owatonna Hospital Auxiliary, and helped elderly family members as needed.

Joan is survived by her caring and loving daughter, Beth and her wonderful and helpful husband, Chuck; step-sister-in-law, Marilyn Lewison; her grand-pets; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Robert; two infant daughters, Lonnie (1959) and Mary Beth (1963); brothers, Norbert (Janet) and Kermit (Macel); sister, Lola (Jim) Rions-Pruett; step-brother, Merlin Lewison; and many in-laws.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, December 19, 2025, at St. John Lutheran Church in Owatonna with Pastor David Klawiter officiating. A visitation will be held from 10:00 am until the time of service. Joan will be laid to rest at Owatonna Memorial Gardens next to her husband, Robert.