Ann Adele Junker, age 80, passed away on December 5, 2025, in Fredericksburg, TX.
Ann was born on September 14, 1945, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Emmett and Ruth (Mallberg) Wolff, and grew up in Stillwater, MN. She graduated from Stillwater High School in 1963 and went on to complete her nursing degree at the Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, MN, in 1966, beginning a lifelong vocation of caring for others.
On April 22, 1967, Ann married her high school sweetheart, Brian Junker, and together they built a loving family and a life grounded in faith and service to others. Ann and Brian made their home in Winona, MN, for 45 years. She served as a nurse at the Winona Clinic for over three decades, offering kindness and compassion to countless patients. After retiring from the clinic, she worked part-time at Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home, facilitating bereavement and grief services for children and families, supporting families with the same gentle presence she brought to her nursing career.
Ann gave generously of her time. She volunteered with Winona Home and Community Options, which provides support and residential services to people with developmental disabilities; served as an active parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church; and volunteered at Camp Amanda, a healing weekend program for children ages 7–14 who had experienced significant loss.
After Ann and Brian retired, they split their time between Fredericksburg, Texas, and their cabin on Leader Lake in northern Wisconsin. Both places brought her joy and treasured friendships.
Ann loved her friends, maintaining cherished lifelong bonds with her nursing school classmates, her many friends from Winona, and her neighbors on Leader Lake.
Ann adored her family, especially her six grandchildren. She was such a special grandmother that the grandchildren gave her a special name: “Nanny Grandma.” She enjoyed attending their sporting events, First Communions, graduations, and performances. Most of all, she loved being with them and laughing with them.
Ann also loved her quiet time with friends and family—sitting together over morning coffee, meeting up for breakfast or lunch, enjoying an evening glass of wine, taking pontoon rides, and watching sunsets over Leader Lake.
Ann will be remembered for her gentle spirit and her unwavering dedication to her family and friends. She will be missed, but we know her gentle soul is with our Lord and no longer suffering.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Ruth; father, Emmett; stepmother, Gladys; brother, Steve; and stepbrothers Keith, Wayne, and Jerry.
Ann is survived by her devoted husband, Brian; her son David and his spouse Angela (Arnold) and their daughters Ava and Emily; her son Joel and his spouse Susan (Maher) and their children Maeve, Ella, Elijah, and Leah; her sister-in-law Ann Wolff (Parkhurst); and her stepbrother Bruce Allen.
Visitation for Ann will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, December 12, 2025, at Fawcett Junker Funeral Home, Winona. A Rosary will be recited at 6 p.m.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Winona. Private family interment will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Winona.
A visitation will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Visitation Commons. A eulogy will be offered at 10:40 a.m. in the sanctuary prior to the Mass. Memorials may be made to Winona Home and Community Options. Expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com.
Services entrusted to Fawcett Junker Funeral Home & Crematory, Winona, MN.
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