Joyce M. Pap

JOYCE MARILYN (HART/LANTIS) PAP was born on September 23, 1931 in Sioux City, IA. Her family moved to Sheldon, Iowa when she was 11 years old. She continued her schooling and graduated from Sheldon High School with the class of 1949. On December 1, 1950, Joyce was united in marriage to Delmar Pap at his mother’s home in Sheldon. Joyce moved with Del to Miami, FL, and San Diego, CA, during his service in the U.S. Marine Corps. They then returned to the family farm near Sheldon and were blessed with three sons. In 1956, the family moved to their own farm seven miles north of Beaver Creek, MN, and was blessed with two more children; a daughter and another son. The family moved to Phoenix, AZ, for two years (1964 to 1966) and subsequently came back to their farm near Beaver Creek. Joyce felt strongly that their children “should be raised on the farm”. Joyce and Del later bought a cabin in Park Rapids, MN, where they enjoyed spending many of their summers. In 1996, after 40 years of living in southern Minnesota, the couple moved to Andover, MN, to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

On January 31, 2015, Delmar preceded Joyce in death. In 2016, Joyce moved to the Waveryly Gardens Assisted Living facility in North Oaks, MN. On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, Joyce passed away at St Joseph’s Hospital in St Paul, MN surrounded by her family at the age of 88 years, one month and 22 days.

Family was very important to Joyce. She loved spending time with her children and their families. She and Del cherished times with their kids at their cabin where they played cards and games, fished and barbequed. While they were on the farm, Joyce was a member of the Enterprise Extension Club and volunteered at the Mary Jane Brown Home helping to make quilts and at Beaver Creek Elementary School as a teacher’s aide. The couple enjoyed getting together with neighbors and friends to share stories and play cards. Joyce and Del enjoyed getting away to special places. They spent many winters in Phoenix, AZ and Eureka Springs, AR and got together with friends when family wasn’t visiting. For their 50th wedding anniversary, and because Joyce was a very generous woman, she insisted on taking the whole family on a Caribbean cruise. The family had the time of their lives and will remember the relational journey forever. Joyce was an avid antiquer. Even in her last week of life, she was calling antique dealers asking for pictures and prices of old knick-knacks, furniture and dishes. Joyce had a strong connection to the past, searching through genealogical records to find both her own and Delmar’s family trees. She loved to talk about their heritage. Joyce was a smart, sweet and kind woman who was a blessing to her family and friends.

Joyce is lovingly remembered by her children and grandchildren, Brian PaStarr of Minneapolis, MN, Michael (Laurel) Pap of Sioux Falls, SD, Bruce (Mary) Pap of Lino Lakes, MN, Barbara (Steven) Nyhammer of Andover, MN, and Kelly (Valerie) Pap of Lino Lakes, MN; 13 grandchildren, Angela (Troy) Jude, Jesse (Blanca) Pap, Charlie Pap, Tony Pap, Phillip Pap, Callie (Roscoe) Sopiwnik, Trina PaStarr, Jessica (Chris) Massey, Jordan (Kayla) Pap, Alexandra (Andrew) Ross, Cullen Lyons, Evangelina Nyhammer and Elijah Nyhammer; six step-grandchildren, Jessica (Dan) Doyle, Erin Carlson, Elsa Carlson, Emily (Eric) Eckman, Mathew (Liz) Nyhammer and Trent (Kelly) Nyhammer; seven great-grandchildren, Isabella Pap, Courtney Jude, Kayce Jude, Alba Sopiwinik, Elias Sopiwinik, Jameson Pap and Oliver Pap; and many other family and friends. Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Delmar; one grandson, Tanner Pap; and her parents, Beryl Hart Bloedel and Merle Lantis.