Columbia Heights’ go-to person, Jo-Anne Student led by example

As secretary to the City Council and Mayor for Columbia Heights for nearly three decades in most of its highly developmental years, Jo-Anne Student kept part-time
mayors on track, served on many task forces and made every visitor feel respected. She passed away Nov. 29, 2023 at age 87.

In 1983 when Kerry Ashmore and I thought about expanding our Northeaster newspaper boundaries, we were told we should talk with Jo-Anne Student. Call her gatekeeper, kingmaker or simply a resource, we liked what we saw in the City through her advice. We delivered the paper to businesses and institutions ourselves in those days, so twice monthly, it was a pleasure to talk with Jo-Anne. 

A raconteur, she recalled a Columbia Heights City Council meeting back when they went into the wee hours of the morning. Snow had been falling for seven hours. A public works plow driver took her home, clearing a path, a wild ride. Of course, she told it better. 

Jo-Anne Fortin married Donald Student Sept. 1, 1957. As an interior decorator, my mother sold them a set of custom draperies (in the ’90s, probably). There was something wrong with the color or fabric, and a remake was worked out amicably. Jo-Anne was the soul of grace but you also did not want to find out if she had a temper. 

Daughter of an Irish mother and a French Canadian father, she played up her Irish heritage at every opportunity. At her wake, several folks noted that Jo-Anne would telephone people to compliment them. If she landed on voice mail, that encouragement could be listened to again and again, on cloudy days. Maybe it was “Blarney,” one person observed, but a much appreciated social grace. 

Jo-Anne was quoted in a Sun newspaper interview: The key to happiness is “to stop expecting so much from people and start accepting them the way they are.”

Their son, Michael, pasted up our newspaper pages — one of his first jobs. He addressed us as Mr. or Ms. and we called him Mister Student. Mrs. Student always referred to her husband as Don Student, a sign of respect and individuality.

Jo-Anne Student served the city of Columbia Heights in an era when women were both influential behind the scenes and starting to appear in elected leadership roles. A case in point was Rita Petkoff. The women instantly became friends when Petkoff was elected to the council. 

It didn’t feel like she made a big deal of giving advice, but, looking back, Jo-Anne obviously served as a role model. Younger people could feel and operate as equals despite the age difference. They were inspired to step up and do the work, to be leaders. One of the mayors she admired most was one of the youngest. Perhaps this affinity for encouraging youth is illustrated in service on an advisory committee to the public schools in her post-retirement years, and it’s not surprising that daughter Anne, granddaughter Hannah and Hannah’s husband are educators.

From the obituary printed in the Star Tribune, “In addition to her professional endeavors, Jo-Anne was a counselor at Birthright, where she offered love, friendship and support to women in need.” Preceded in death by husband Donald, daughter Nancy, daughter-in-law Mary Anne. Survived by son Michael Student, daughter Anne (Mike) Wallace, grandchildren Hannah (Mike) Howe, Patrick (Jessica) Student, Madeline Wallace and Caitlin Wallace and great-granddaughter Lily Howe. Mass was held on Dec. 13, 2023, and her ashes are interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.