Joyce Swenson

JOYCE MARIE SWENSON was born on March 7, 1940 to George and Matilda (Orstad) Abbas in Worthing, South Dakota. Joyce was raised on the family farm and attended grade school in Lennox, South Dakota before attending high school in Worthing, SD. While in high school, Joyce was a cheerleader, member of the paper and annual staff, and was named homecoming queen. Joyce graduated high school in 1958.

On May 13, 1961, Joyce married Charles “Chuck” Swenson in Lennox. Due to Chuck’s job as a telephone contractor the young couple began traveling across the United States. In 1962, the couple welcomed their first child into their family. After many years of traveling, the couple moved to Canton, South Dakota for a few years before moving to Jasper, Minnesota in 1974. While living in Jasper, Joyce began working at the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone. She continued to work there for 27 years, before retiring.

Joyce was a member of the Jasper Evangelical Lutheran church in Jasper. Chuck and Joyce took pleasure in traveling the country on motorcycles and Corvettes. Joyce enjoyed scrapbooking, baking, making sock monkeys, collecting mice figurines, writing stories, and watching the birds, especially hummingbirds. Above all else, Joyce loved the time that she spent with her spouse, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and her dog, Peanut.

As Joyce’s health began to decline, she was able to remain in the home thanks to the love and dedication of Chuck. Joyce began to receive home hospice care November 3 then moved into the Pipestone County Hospice House on November 16. Joyce died peacefully at the hospice house on Monday, November 19, 2018, surrounded by her loving family, at the age of 78 years, eight months, and 12 days.

She is lovingly remembered by her husband, Chuck of Jasper; her four children, Karla Ykema of Gallatin, Tennessee, Keith Swenson of Jasper, Craig (Erin) Swenson of Jasper, and Joel (Kimberly) Swenson of Sherman, South Dakota; grandchildren, Cayce, Londyn, Ramsey, Kenaniah, Jericho, and Jonah; three great-grandchildren, Corbin, Skylar, and Jalynn; two sisters, Elaine Thatcher and Janice (Bruce) Vaught; sister-in-law, Marilyn Eshleman and brother-in-law Dean Paulsmeyer; and many loving nieces and nephews; beloved family members and friends.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, George and Matilda; and her siblings, Clifford Abbas, Evelyn Sheldon, Marlene Paulsmeyer, Elvera Myrabo, and Lorna Cornelius.