Judy Mae Krahn peacefully transitioned into heaven on January 12, 2024 at Hope Stay Assistive Living in Holmen, WI at the age of 77. She was born on February 28, 1946 to Harvey & June Krahn in Beloit. She grew up with her parents & loving sisters Donna & Sherla in Beloit, WI.

The family moved to West Salem, WI in 1959, moving to Rockton, IL in 1964 then settled in La Crosse in 1968. Judy attended the Medary School &  then was one of the first individuals to attend Riverfront, Inc. in 1977.  She worked at Riverfront for over 30 years as a production worker & was proud of her accomplishments. 

She truly enjoyed learning & attended a wide variety of Day Service classes at Riverfront, as well as University of Life classes at Western Technical College. 

Judy was active in her community, volunteering at Gundersen Health & English Lutheran Church. She was a member of Weight Watchers & excelled at karate at Fred Nicholas Karate Studio.

Known as a social butterfly, Judy made friends wherever she went. She exuded kindness & displayed the best of manners. She was a true "self-advocate" before the term became popular. Judy knew what she wanted & wasn't afraid to let you know. She attended conferences that focused on empowering people with disabilities & regularly shared her life story with students at WTC. Judy also participated in the Down Syndrome Awareness Walk over several years.

Family was truly important to Judy. She flew to Florida independently for many years to visit her mom & spoke with her sister Sherla as often as possible. 

Judy's faith in God was strong throughout her life. She was a member of English Lutheran Church & could often be found in the front row with her mom. We are confident that she was welcomed into Jesus' loving arms when she arrived in heaven.

When Judy was born, doctors told her parents that she wouldn't live past age 30. Judy defied the odds & lived a long, meaningful life. Her longevity can be attributed to the amazing support & care that Judy received throughout her life from her family and human services. Thank you to her social workers at La Crosse County & care team at Inclusa (Deb Meyer & Johnette Patzner), to all of the staff at Riverfront who enhanced her life, to her former Adult Family Home providers (Dawn, Ginny, Mia & Tena), her extensive care team at Gundersen Health & to the staff at Hope Stay Assisted Living (especially Jennifer L).

Those who greeted Judy in heaven include her grandparents Walter & Maud Pearson, father Harvey Krahn, mother June Pearson Krahn & sister Donna Willis. She is survived by her sister Sherla Bond of Punta Gorda, FL, nephew Jarred Peters & his wife Kim of Rockford, IL and guardian Denise Lorenz of La Crescent, MN.

A celebration of life will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024 at English Lutheran Church (1509 King Street, La Crosse, WI 54601). Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., the service will start at 11:00 a.m. and a meal will be served following the service. All are encouraged to join in fellowship to share memories of Judy during and after the meal. Please view information about Judy’s life and share your memories at https://everloved.com/life-of/judy-krahn/ .

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Judy to Aptiv, Inc. (formerly known as Riverfront, Inc.) at 3000 South Avenue, La Crosse WI 54601 or Hope Stay Assisted Living at 3908 Circle Drive, Holmen, WI 54636.

Dickinson Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. Please visit their website at https://www.dickinsonfuneralh…

The world will not be the same without our sweet, sassy, one of a kind Princess Judy! We are all better people to have known her. Rest in peace Judy.

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