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In memory of

Jo Arney

Coon Valley, WI, USA

January 17, 1976 - November 19, 2020

Jan 17, 1976 - Nov 19, 2020

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Jo's Obituary- Jo Arney, Beloved UW La Crosse Professor and Professional Practical Joker
Journal entry by Kerry Kuenzi — 12 hours ago

Jo Ann Arney ( Kuenzi) passed away peacefully this morning (November 19, 2020). A lover of laughing and practical jokes, when we first learned of the seriousness of her condition a few weeks ago, I had hoped beyond measure this might be one of those occasions. While we unfortunately have not been at the receiving end of some dark punchline, please excuse the sometimes cheekiness of what follows as I know no better way of honoring her than being irreverent even in this humorless event. On January 17, 1976, Jo became the firstborn of Fred and Charlene Kuenzi (Sill), no doubt the perfect child that never cried and had polite dinner conversations with her parents by one year of age. She was joined nine years later not by one but two babies (including myself), which she recently told me made her resent the s#$! out of us for disrupting her peaceful and studious life. When her parents brought a third sibling into the world 17.5 years later, she was mortified for people to know that her parents were still very much in love and “affectionate” with each other.

Being the eldest was a thankless task, although she now had victims on which to hone her practical joke skills. Although all three of us were on the receiving end of her pranks, I am quite certain that Jake got the brunt of it being the youngest. Mom and Dad were also not in the clear, nor was anyone that knew her. One of her favorite pranks was to wrap an absurd or unusual gift for someone during special events and holidays (weddings, birthdays, holidays, etc) and watch their reaction and confusion upon opening. One Christmas, Jake received an empty money envelope with “Ha Ha! No Money” written inside, a textbook on American radicals, and a terrible, hand-made pencil case while Dad received Oprah’s Greatest Moments DVD collection. Each was labeled with earnest messages and signatures from family members that were not present. When she at last could not contain herself over their confused looks and attempts to appear grateful for such seemingly random gifts, she burst into laughter to let them know she had gotten them. Many family members and friends received the infamous “13 Hidden Horses” shirt that was several sizes too large and tie-dyed in the fashion of 1960s protest art.

Jo received her bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. She then sought a Masters in Philosophy at Colorado State University, leaving all of us to wonder what her future job prospects might be given that philosophy is not known as a wage-earning career path. Despite this, Jo thrived and went on to complete a doctorate of public affairs from the University of Colorado Denver. It was in Fort Collins where she met (and later married, 2001) Jeremy Arney who shared her good sense of humor. Jeremy brought so much laughter and light to her and our lives and we’re thankful that he tolerated her perfectionist tendencies and poor frisbee golf skills; possibly the only thing she wasn’t good at.

Jo assuaged all of our concerns regarding future job prospects by hoodwinking the nice people of University of Wisconsin La Crosse (UWL) into offering her a tenure-track position not knowing that they would never be able to shake her fully. Working with students is where Jo really thrived, indoctrinating young minds in concepts serving their communities, protecting the environment for generations, and social equity. Her sabbatical entailed curating a course on the stewardship of public land for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). She later took a leave from her faculty to position to work on a federal campaign for AASCU that worked with campuses across the United States to design and implement programs for helping first-year students increase their chances of staying in college, excelling, and eventually earning their degree, particularly those that have been traditionally excluded from the college experience. She returned to La Crosse to take on the role of Director of Student Success, getting to do the hands-on work she advocated for so strongly at the national level and then some. She is well known to have taken students under her wing and been helping them to recognize leadership qualities they didn’t see in themselves.

Jo had two places where she was most happy: Yellowstone and Jeremy’s and her farm in Coon Valley known by many visitors as “Skunk Hollow.” She loved to garden, cook, take walks around the property, sit around the campfire as well as engage in a lively board game or watch a Packer game. She invited many to these activities: students, friends, family. While she loved all animals, her pets were very special to her and spoiled more than any human alive.

Jo is proceeded in her death by her grandparents Walter and Suzanne Kuenzi and Elmer and Alvina Sill, as well as her beloved pets Gretchen, Marley, and Huck. Left to manage the farm is Jeremy Arney, with mouse-catching responsibilities assigned to Lincoln and Carter and Jordy and Kirby left to check the grounds and inspect property lines. Her three siblings Kerry Kuenzi (Benjamin Kees, Alfred Kuenzi-Kees), Kristy Gill (Ryan, Oliver, Bina, George Gill), and Jake Kuenzi (Kaylin Kuenzi) will try and make sure to keep the practical joking up in the family, particularly on their parents. Jo is also survived by Lynn and Silvia Arney (mother and father-in-law), Les Arney (brother-in-law), and Janel Arney (sister-in-law, Nicole and Tyler). Finally, it is impossible to name all of Jo’s friends, many of which she considered family but there are many out there across the United States getting into trouble on her behalf.

A memorial scholarship at UWL has been set up in her name (The Jo Arney Student Success Scholarship) and can be found on their website or we suggest you donate to Yellowstone National Park to ensure that the lands remain protected for generations to come. Jo often said that she wanted to radicalize the campus of UWL, by encouraging the campus community at large to be more compassionate, equitable and human. I would be remiss to not encourage us to try this in our own communities: as a believer that everyone should have a place at the table, it’s what Jo would have wanted.

You can share memories of Jo at https://everloved.com/life-of…
This obituary will also be posted there.

The family invites all to a virtual celebration of Jo’s life/memorial on Saturday, December 5 at 1:00pm CST. Further details such as meeting location will be shared via Jo’s Caring Bridge page soon.

UW - La Crosse is planning a virtual gathering on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 12 pm CST that will be a celebration of Jo’s student success work.

The Zoom Webinar link will is https://uwlax-edu.zoom.us/j/8… Passcode: 069639

The event will include prepared remarks by several of Jo’s colleagues across the nation Other individuals who wish to share remembrances will have an opportunity to share.

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