Joy Englin

Joyce “Joy” Englin, 99, of Emmetsburg, Iowa, formerly of Garner, Iowa, Audubon, Iowa and Watonwan County, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Friday, September 20, 2024.   

Joy’s Celebration of Life and visitation will be held on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 810 State Street, Garner, Iowa 50438. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. and the Celebration of Life service will begin at 10:30 a.m. 

To view her service please click the following link:   https://youtu.be/c7EvWzXrCkM

Memorials are encouraged to be directed to Ingham-Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps 1203 Inwan St., Milford, IA 51351 or Mission Central 40718 County Road E16, Mapleton, IA 51034. 

Joyce “Joy” Lorayne (Wellman) Englin, the daughter of Gloyd and Lena (Kintzi) Wellman, was born on a farm near St. James, Minnesota on April 24, 1925. She was baptized, confirmed and married at the Methodist Church in St. James. When Joy was a teenager her family moved to a farm near Mountain Lake, Minnesota. She graduated from Mountain Lake High School and from Mankato Business College. On April 13, 1946 she married Vareld “Swede” Englin. To this union six children were born. They farmed in Watonwan County, in south Central Minnesota, until 1962 when they moved to Audubon, Iowa. In addition to helping Swede with his farming and numerous other work endeavors, Joy was a typist, proofreader, bookkeeper, and Women’s Page editor at various newspapers in both Minnesota and Iowa. In their early retirement years, she and Swede spent time in numerous parts of the United States helping build churches with both Mission Builders and Laborers for Christ. During those same years they also often worked at Ingham-Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camps. In 1995 Joy and Swede moved to Garner, Iowa to be closer to their three youngest children and their families.

 Nothing was more important to Joy than her Christian faith. She and Swede very intentionally raised their children in that faith by striving to lead by example and making sure their family clearly knew the importance and the value of faith for their own lives. They believed no greater gift than faith could ever be passed on from them to the family they were blessed with and loved with all their hearts. Second to her faith was her love and unwavering commitment to her family and to Swede, the love of her life for over 74 years. Joy enjoyed music, singing, reading, gardening, cooking, traveling, sports, camping, dancing with Swede and with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, playing the piano and the organ and closely following all the activities of her big family. Joy was humble, kind and generous, and truly had a heart that was filled with love for others. That love and her concern for the well-being of others was ever present and was shown by the way she spoke of others and through her tireless actions for the benefit of others. Joy had a friendly smile she was quick to share with everyone. Her genuineness caused people to know they were important to her and that she truly cared about them. She was a very supportive, active and longtime member of Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Garner and Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. Joy and Swede also enjoyed the years they were members of the Audubon Campers Club.

 Survivors include children, Rosetta (Randall) Thron, Melbourne, FL, Gene (Patty) Englin, Emmetsburg, IA, Gary (Marlene) Englin, Audubon, IA, Lynelle (Mark) Hansen, Humboldt, IA, Eileen (Mike) Madsen, Garner, IA and John (Kaye) Englin, Cedar Falls, IA; grandchildren, Todd (Candace) Anderson, Jill (Steve) McFarland-Packard, Phillip (Jen) Thron, Nicholas (Stephanie) Thron, Jeff (Alice) Englin, Dan (Heather) Englin, Mike (Heather) Englin, Stef (John) Stenberg, Julie (Ivan) Collins, Owen (Erin) Englin, Tony (Stacie) Englin, Jim (Chanda) Englin, Joy (Mark) Schreiber, Eric (Rosie) Hansen, David (Tammy) Hansen, Emily (Minsoo) Seo, Bethany (Eric) Hythecker, Steven (Abby) Madsen, Katelyn (Jeremy) Nicholson, Megan (Justin) Janssen and Jake Englin; 63 great-grandchildren; brother, Leon Wellman; sister, Phyllis Peters; sisters-in-law, Alice Wellman, Roxann Wellman and Merlie (Dennis) Kluver; and many nieces and nephews. 

 She was preceded in death by her husband; parents; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Oscar and Rosetta (Carlson) Englin; step-mother-in-law, Emma (Frank) Rempel; daughter-in-law, Pam Englin; grandson-in-law, Greg McFarland; brothers, LeRoy (Maria) Wellman, Chuck Wellman, Gloyd Wellman, Jr.; brothers-in-law, Marvin (Joni) Englin, Harry Peters; sisters-in-law, Marion Wellman, Elvona (Ray) Aden; and nephews, Richard Wellman and Greg Wellman.