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Joan Engraf, age 81, of Hettinger, ND, passed away on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND.

Memorial services for Joan will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at the Hettinger Lutheran Church in Hettinger, ND.  Burial will follow in the Hettinger Cemetery.

Joan Louise Tatro was born on December 29, 1942, in Longview, Washington.  Her parents were Harry and Mardy (Hendrickson) Tatro.  Harry was in WWII and they were staying in Longview until after Harry went overseas, then Mardy brought Joan back home to Hettinger.  Harry returned home after he was discharged in 1944.  Joan was the first of five children.  Her siblings were Harry "Skip", Bonnie, Jackie and Rick.

Joan went to school at Hettinger Public School.  One of her favorite activities there was being a tumbler (gymnast) for the Shooting Stars.

In 1960 she married Wayne Engraf.  From this union three children were born: Brad, Shawn and Keita.  They purchased the Midway Bar on January 1, 1973, and successfully operated it together until their divorce in 1975.  Joan went to work at Knife River Coal Mine in Scranton as a loader/operator until 1980 and they started a cattle hauling/trucking business.

In 1985 Wayne Laufer came into Joan's life.  They ran a trucking operation until they started Cash-N-Carry Lumber Inc. in the meantime they also started, owned and operated Laufer Bees, where Joan was affectionately known as the "Queen Bee".  They sold the lumber yard to DFC in 2008.  In 2017 Wayne and Joan divorced.

In Joan's lifetime she helper her uncle Martin Schmaltz with his farm and ranch, and years later the Donnie Archibald ranch as well.  She loved doing that and also loved trucking cattle with her brother Skip (Harry).  She said if you added up all of the trucking in her lifetime she was able to see most of the United States.  She also enjoyed hunting, trapping, fishing, camping, riding snowmobile and riding horse, doing woodwork, knitting and best of all jigsaw puzzles!  Her "happy place" was mowing the yard; the bigger the better!  Joan learned how to fly a private plane, she was a top-notch bowler and loved running a business and doing bookwork.  You could say she tasted life!

Joan is survived by her children, Shawn Hoffer (Robert) and Keita Gabert (Harley), and her furry cat "child" Dakota; siblings, Skip "Harry" Tatro, Bonnie Pinney, Jackie Blade and Rick Tatro; nieces and nephews, Mike Tatro, Teryl Tatro, Nick Zimmerman, Richie Zimmerman, Jeff Blade, Lisa Blade (Ness), Kristie Blade (Kuhl), Jolene Tatro and Kaila Tatro.

She was preceded in death by her parents Harry and Mardy; her first husband, Wayne Engraf; her son, Brad; nephew, Jimmy Zimmerman; brother-in-law, Rick Pinney; and sister-in-law, Chuck (Charlotte) Tatro.

Condolences may be sent to Shawn Hoffer, 112 North Main Apt 13, Hettinger, ND, 58639.

Memorials will be given to the Hettinger Cemetery Association and Hettinger Lutheran Church.