Joseph DeGrood

Northview - North Mankato Mortuary
2060 Commerce Drive
North Mankato, Minnesota 56003
507-388-2288

Local business owner Joseph "Joe" Paul DeGrood, age 56 of Madison Lake, MN, passed away on Monday, May 5, 2014 at his home. Joe fought a courageous battle with esophageal cancer for the last 17 months and died peacefully into the arms of his loving Father with his family by his side.

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 10, 2014, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Mankato, MN. A visitation for friends will be held from 10:30 a.m. until the time of service at the church on Saturday and will continue immediately following the service. A private burial will be held at Calvary Cemetery in Mankato at a later date. Mankato Mortuary is handling arrangements.

Born on October 25, 1957, in Mankato, MN, Joe is the son of John and Shirley DeGrood. He attended school at Mankato West, graduating in 1976. After graduation he attended South Central Technical College, North Mankato, MN. After working at DeGrood's Appliance in high school and during college, Joe and his brother, Steve, became more active in the store and in 1995 bought the business from their dad, John, who had started DeGrood's Appliance on Front Street in 1952.

Joe was united in marriage to Robin Huggins; they later divorced. On March 31, 1989 he was united in marriage to Mary Kay (Germscheid) Nelson. Together they celebrated 25 years of marriage.

Joe had a love for life. He enjoyed downhill skiing and was on the Men's Ski Team at Mt. Kato. He was an active member of the Mankato Builder's Association. He loved to golf and was fond of all of his golf buddies. Joe loved being outdoors. He was a master griller who always wanted his food creations to taste good. He adored his family, including his wife, children and grandchildren, and was honored to carry on the family business through the generations. He was so proud of his store and loved meeting the customers there. Joe always knew who you were and took the time to add a smile to your day. His last prayer was to wish everyone peace in the knowledge that he knew he was loved and was going to a better place, with no pain, and basking in the glory of his Lord's love. From the first day he found out he had cancer to his last breath, he was an inspiration to others. He completed his journey with grace, love and peace. Joe had many wonderful close friends whom he cherished, and his family meant the world to him. We all will miss our Joe.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Kay DeGrood of Madison Lake; two sons, Mike (Carly) DeGrood and their children, Jack and Ames of Madison, WI and Mitch DeGrood of Mankato; three stepchildren, Matt (Tara) Nelson and their children Finn and Ayla of Mankato, Amy (Doug) Johnson and their children, Annika and Soren of Prior Lake, Charlie (Kari) Nelson and their daughter, Claire of LaCrosse, WI; parents, John and Shirley DeGrood of Mankato; siblings, Mary (Jim) Bull of Mankato, Joan (Gregg) Andersen of Mankato, Steve DeGrood of Mankato, John (Sarah) DeGrood of St. Paul, Marie DeGrood of St. Paul, Therese (Dan) Lord of Santa Barbara, CA, Pete (Liz) DeGrood of Denver, CO, Ann Slottow of Dillon, CO, Jane (Lee) Carlstrom of Mankato, Amy DeGrood of Denver, CO, Gretchen DeGrood of Minneapolis, Katerina (John) Haley of Mankato; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, mother-in-law, Jean Germscheid of Mankato and the Germscheid family, and many close friends. Joe was preceded in death by his grandparents; father-in-law; brother-in-law, Luke Slottow; and a nephew, Derk Slottow.

At Joe's request memorials are preferred to Mayo Health System Hospice program or to an organization of the donors' choice.