Roanne T. Haakinson

Roanne T. Haakinson, age 55 of Batesville, died Tuesday, April 6, 2010 in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Born November 26, 1954 in Dover, Ohio, she is the daughter of Joanne (Nee: Zifer) and Ronald Cihon. She married William Haakinson August 17, 1974 at Sacred Heart Church in New Philadelphia, Ohio. She was a pre-school teacher for St. Louis Church in Batesville, as well as a member of St. Louis Church and the Phi Beta Psi Sorority.Ro loved being around children. Her children, her grandchildren or someone else’s children, it didn’t matter. She loved having little ones around. Probably due to her Italian heritage, time spent with grandparents, parents, siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews was also an important part of her everyday life. A good cook and baker, Ro’s children fondly recalled her cookies and a dish her family called “chicken and rats”, which is similar to chicken and dumplings. Ro always found time to attend her children and grandchildren’s functions and in recent years took up scrap booking to save those special memories. She and Bill enjoyed traveling and through the years visited many places throughout the country. While visits to Sarasota, Florida and Colorado were among her some of her more memorable trips, anywhere along the California coast and especially San Francisco were definitely among her favorite places to go. A devout woman, her faith has always been an essential part of her life. The most enduring quality to her family was Ro’s unselfishness. Bill probably explained it best by saying “She has been handed some bad lemons along the way and she’d always make lemonade out of them and then give the lemonade away.”She is survived by her husband Bill; daughters Margaret Haakinson of Denver, Colorado, Elizabeth Haakinson of Batesville; sons Brian of Batesville, Andrew of Batesville, Matthew of Indianapolis, Indiana; her mother Joanne McClelland of New Philadelphia, Ohio; sisters Blanche Myers of Urichsville, Ohio, Deborah Graves of Concord, New Hampshire, Lori Dapoz of New Philadelphia, Ohio; brothers Andrew Cihon of Dover Ohio, David Cihon of New Philadelphia, Ohio, Steven Cihon of Columbus, Ohio and grandchildren Cody and Gwyneth Haakinson of Batesville. She is preceded in death by her father Ronald.Visitation is Friday, April 9th, from 4-8 p.m. at the funeral home. Funeral services are 11 a.m. Saturday, April 10th, at St. Louis Church with Rev. Bernie Varghese officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family requests memorials to the Hansen Center or Phi Beta Psi Sorority Cancer Research.

Roanne T. Haakinson

April 6, 1955 - April 6, 2010