Johanna "Jo" Orberg

Johanna “Jo” Orberg, 98, formerly of Port Wing, WI, died, Wednesday October 2, 2013 at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center, Duluth.

She was born January 16, 1915 in Herbster, WI to Matt and Susanna Leppala. Jo grew up in Herbster on the family homestead.


She graduated from Central High School in Superior, Wisconsin. Next she attended Superior State University and graduated with a teaching degree for the intermediate grades. Jo worked for her room and board through college.

Jo’s first year of teaching was at Russell township in Wisconsin. She was the sole teacher in a one-room school and there were students in each of the eight grades. She did the janitor work herself and walked over a mile each day to and from school, in all kinds of weather.

The next year, Jo sought a larger school and taught at Birchwood grade school in Birchwood, WI, where there were ten teachers.

On October 10, 1937, Jo married Waldon Orberg and they resided in Port Wing, WI. She stayed home to raise their two children, Gary and Gayle. Later, she returned to teaching at South Shore Consolidated school district, usually teaching fifth grade. She taught for over twenty years before retiring at age 62.

Jo was active in community service and in the First Lutheran Church. Her hobbies included gardening, sewing, knitting, quilting and reading. Very often, friends and relatives visited from out of town and stayed for the weekend.

In 1993, Jo became a widow. Nine years later, she moved to St. Anne’s Assisted Living in Duluth, MN. The family wishes to thank the staff at St. Anne’s for their kind caretaking.

Jo is survived by one daughter, Gayle de Mille, Mountain View, CA; daughter-in-law, Leona Schueller, Milwaukee, WI; granddaughters, Christine (Richard) Povinelli, Diane (John) Bach; grandson, John (Lucy) Orberg, and seven great-grandchildren, all of the Milwaukee area; sisters, Mayme Popowski, Brainerd, MN, Helmi Mackey, Duluth, MN and many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband Waldon and her parents, Jo is preceded in death by a son Gary; brothers, Eino, Arvo and Axel Leppala and a sister Jennie Stelter.

Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM and will continue until the 11:30 AM Funeral Service on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at the First Lutheran Church in Port Wing, WI, with Pastor Nancy Hanson, officiating.

Burial will be in Greenwood Cemetery in Port Wing, WI.

Lenroot-Maetzold Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

To send a condolence or sign the on-line guest book, visit our website at www.lenroot-maetzold.com.