Joyce Cole

Funeral Service for Joyce Mae Cole, 87, of Wheaton, Minnesota will be held Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 11:00 A.M. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wheaton, Minnesota with Rev. Thomas Olson officiating. Organist will be LeAnn Bjornson. Pallbearers will be Joyces seven Grandchildren : Neal, Marc and Cole Hunter, Ryan and Kyle Cole, and Arna and Peter Wilkinson. Honorary Pallbearers will be Alex Holtzman and Jessica Holtzman. Private family interment will be in Wildwood Cemetery. Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 12th from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. with a 7:00 P.M. Prayer Service at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Wheaton. Joyce was born in Wheaton on April 10, 1923 to Edward and Mabel (Johnson) Larson. She was raised on the family farm and hunting lodge on Mud Lake in rural Wheaton. She was baptized and confirmed at the Mission Church in Wheaton. Joyce attended country school and graduated from Wheaton High School as valedictorian in 1941. Joyce married Everett Andrew Cole on July 20, 1947 in a double wedding with Milton and Pauline Cole in White Rock, South Dakota. Together they raised three children: Earl, Eris and Sandra. Joyce traveled to every corner of the world with friends and family. She enjoyed her friends and community, service work, gardening, playing bridge, fishing, reading, and especially her annual summer vacation with her family. Joyce worked at the State Bank in Wheaton, the Home School for Girls in Sauk Center and the Veterans Administration in Minneapolis. After returning to Wheaton, Joyce enjoyed a 30 year career with the Farmers Home Administration. Upon retiring Joyce served two terms as County Commissioner for Traverse County. She was active in Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in circles, church board, quilting, teaching, caring ministries and WELCA. Joyce served on many boards and committees: VFW Auxiliary, Wheaton Hospital Board and Auxiliary, Library Board, Regional Library Board, Mental Health Advisory Committee (Fergus Falls), Gambling Addiction Group (state), Community Action (Elbow Lake), Museum Board, Traverse-Big Stone Lutheran Brotherhood, High School Alumni Association and Centennial Book Chairman. Other community activities include American Cancer Society, Womens Study Club, Wheaton Senior Citizens and Red Hatters. Joyce passed away peacefully in her home on May 8, 2010 at the age of 87. She will be dearly missed by family and community. She is survived by her children: Earl (Colleen) Cole of Roseville, CA, Eris (Steve) Hunter of Dubai, UAE and Minnetonka, MN and Dr. Sandra (Dr. Chuck) Wilkinson of Mahtomedi, MN, her grandchildren: Neal Hunter, Arna Wilkinson, Marc (Ashley) Hunter, Cole Hunter, Ryan Cole, Kyle Cole and Peter Wilkinson, sister: Mary Jane Armbrust, sisters-in-law: Eva Shear and Pauline Cole, many nieces and nephews and special friend, Harriet Buckman. Joyce was preceded in death by her parents and by her loving husband, Everett, on December 10, 1978.