Joan "Jo" Traut Harrison died peacefully on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at Clarkson Health Care in Rapid City, SD. where she had been living since March 2021.  Jo and her twin sister Jean were born in Rapid City, SD. on May 11, 1932 to Earl and Cady (Chadwick) Traut where they joined their two older sisters, Helen and Margaret.  She attended Rapid City High School and married Clarence (Junior) Harrison of Sturgis, SD. shortly after graduation.  Within a year, Junior and Jo started their family, which would grow to seven .…including Bruce, Jeanne, Kenny, Dave, and Keith.  The family attended Calvary Lutheran Church where all five children were baptized.

Jo was a Cub Scout Den Mother, a Girl Scout Brownie Leader, and a Sunday School teacher.  The kids learned to ski on the small hill behind the house and soon Jo was driving a fully loaded station wagon to Terry Peak a couple times a year.  But soon after Junior and Jo took up skiing, it was season passes for all and every winter weekend was spent with the family on the slopes….after church of course!

During summer months, Jo loved spending time at Angostura Reservoir where she and Junior kept a ski boat and house trailer at Long's Resort. She also loved to travel and the family traveled extensively to many fabulous places….She flew the 5 kids, without Junior, to New York City when Keith was only 2 months old to visit her twin sister and family.  Next it was pulling an Airstream trailer to Expo 67 in Montreal and later on to Winter Park, Colorado with seven of us celebrating Christmas in very tight quarters!  The next couple of years it was driving a Winnebago to Vail and to Aspen and then down the entire Pacific Coast Hi-way.  Jo and Junior continued their adventures into their "empty nest" years and lived very full and adventurous lives.

Joan (pronounced Joanne) is survived by her daughter, Jeanne (Bob) Hefel of Dubuque, IA, son Kenny (Laura) Harrison of Rapid City, son Dave (Barb) Harrison of South Jordan, UT, 8 grandchildren…Leaf, Jillian, Nathan, Collin, Connor, Dani, Heather, and Ryan, 16 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews on both sides of the family.

Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Clarence, her oldest son Bruce, her youngest son Keith, and her sisters Helen Knecht, Margaret McClaren, and Jean Blackwell.

A memorial has been established for the Humane Society of the Black Hills.

A graveside service is scheduled for Friday, June 16 at 10:00 AM.  If attending the graveside service, please arrive at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home at 9:45 where we will caravan to the Mt. View Cemetery.