JoAnn (Hagenbuch) Dake: a Legacy of Love & Wisdom
I keep an eye on family obituaries as they are published, so if you have any to share, please send them along. At a minimum, an obituary tells us who a person was and when they died. It can also be a rich, primary source of family information. For this reason, I try to add obituary details into Beechroots.
A few months ago, I saw the obituary for JoAnn (Hagenbuch) Dake of South Bend, Indiana. She died on February 7, 2025, just a few weeks before my father, Mark, succumbed to cancer. When I find a Hagenbuch obituary, my first inclination is to check and see if the deceased is already in Beechroots. Sure enough, JoAnn was there. I updated her record and added her obituary.
As I read about JoAnn’s life, I could tell she was loved by the people around her. Her obituary spoke of her unwavering dedication to family and her appreciate for the simple joys of life. It described how she deeply cherished her role as a wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother and how she left behind “a legacy of love and wisdom” for her three children, eight grandchildren, and nine great grandchildren. I was moved by what had been said about JoAnn and wanted to know more about her place in our family tree.
Obituary for JoAnn (Hagenbuch) Dake. Credit: Palmer Funeral Homes
JoAnn Hagenbuch was born on May 21, 1939 to Clarence D. Hagenbuch (b. 1914) and LaVergne Mary (Grassby) Hagenbuch (b. 1914) in South Bend, Indiana. On her birth certificate, JoAnn’s name was recorded as “Jo – Ann” with “Ann” being her middle name. It appears she merged the two names together and went by JoAnn for most of her adult life. Her father, Clarence, worked as a machine repairman at the local Bendix factory, which produced parts for airplanes. JoAnn’s family line is: Andreas (b. 1715) > John (b. 1763) > Daniel (b. 1803) > Franklin “Frank” Hill (b. 1845) > Theodore Atwood (b. 1880) > Clarence D. (b. 1914) > JoAnn (b. 1939).
Many generations of this family lived in Pennsylvania. Andreas settled in Berks County, PA and his son, John, was born there before moving north to Centre Township, Columbia County, PA. John, Daniel, and Frank all owned farms in Columbia County and worked in agriculture. While Theodore began his life in Pennsylvania, he moved his family to Indiana sometime between 1910 and 1920, possibly for better paying work opportunities. He bought a home just outside of South Bend, IN and made a living as a carpenter. Theodore’s son, Clarence, chose to stay in South Bend, get married, and start a family. He and his wife, LaVergne, had one child, JoAnn.
JoAnn Hagenbuch grew up in South Bend and attended Central High School, where she graduated in 1957. According to her high school yearbook, she focused her studies on history and science. She was a member of the glee club, and had ambitions of attending nursing school.
Engagement announcement for JoAnn (Hagenbuch) Dake. Credit: Indianapolis Star, October 30, 1960
Ultimately, she earned her nursing degree from the Memorial Hospital School of Nursing and became a Registered Nurse in 1960. She was employed as a nurse for 45 years. Over the course of her lengthy career, she volunteered at the Ronald McDonald Family Room, inspected nursing homes for the state board of health, worked as a substitute nurse in the South Bend School District, served as Director of Nursing at the River Park Nursing Home, and worked at Memorial Hospital in South Bend. All told, she was accomplished and dedicated to helping others through nursing.
On December 31, 1960, she married John David Dake (b. 1937). John attended Purdue University, graduated from the American Floral Arts School, and was a U.S. Army veteran. The couple have three children: Carolyn (Dake) Brooks, Holly (Dake) Biggs, and Todd Dake, as well as eight grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Family and its many gatherings and celebrations were core to JoAnn’s life. Still, she made time for other interests, including visiting with friends, camping, and exploring nature.
In several past articles, my father expressed his dismay at never meeting a deceased relative. After reading JoAnn (Hagenbuch) Dake’s obituary, I can understand what he was feeling. Besides her many decades of service helping others receive medical care, it is clear that JoAnn loved her family and was appreciated in return. Her life holds much significance and is a shining leaf on her branch of our Hagenbuch family tree.
