Joyce Pauline Walsh

JOYCE PAULINE WALSH August 13, 1934 – January 19, 2020               Joyce Pauline Walsh, age 85, a lifelong Park Rapids, MN area resident, peacefully entered the splendor of Heaven on Sunday evening, January 19, 2020 at the CHI St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids with her loved ones at her side.             Joyce was born to Erving and Freda (Solinger) Pritchett on her parent’s farm in Clover Township of Hubbard County, North of Park Rapids.  She attended country school near her home through the eighth grade and then went on to attend high school in Park Rapids from where she graduated with the Class of 1952.  As a young woman, Joyce gained employment as a seamstress for Munsingwear and later for Ringer Manufacturing.  On October 31, 1953, she was united in marriage to Dean Walsh at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Clover Township.  Their marriage was blessed with six children:  Rod, Jeanne, Bob, Sherry, Angie, and Missy.  Joyce devoted herself to making a loving home for her husband and children.  When Dean entered the United States Army they made their home at Ft. Bliss, Texas where they lived for two years with their new son, Rod who served as the mascot for the Army Softball team where his dad served as it’s Ace pitcher, earning a record of 70 wins and only 2 losses. After his honorable discharge, the Walsh family returned to the Park Rapids area where their next five children were born. Joyce was a wonderful cook and her Mexican and German home-cooked meals were always family favorites.  Each spring she planted a large vegetable garden which she nurtured into an abundant harvest to preserve for her growing family’s needs. Joyce was also an excellent seamstress who worked late into the night sewing clothes for her children.  From 1980 – 1998 she operated a child daycare business out of her home with her daughter, Missy. Joyce was a long time and faithful member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Park Rapids where over the years she had helped with the Vacation Bible School. Throughout her lifetime, Joyce enjoyed crafts and artwork.  She made many pieces of homemade jewelry, enjoyed painting landscape themes; particularly, depicting the beauty of Minnesota Winters and she also enjoyed knitting many scarves.  For the past 30 years, Joyce and Dean traveled extensively throughout the United States tracing genealogy.  The driving force for this special interest was motivated by evidence that Joyce’s lineage showed she was a cousin of President Abraham Lincoln.  Above all, Joyce loved her husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with all her heart.             Joyce will be lovingly remembered by her husband for these past 66 years, Dean Walsh of Park Rapids; her six children: Rod (Noreen) Walsh of Ramsey, MN, Jeanne Walsh of Park Rapids, Bob (Teresa) Walsh of Park Rapids, Sherry Shumway of Park Rapids, Angie Walsh of Bemidji, MN and Missy (Jake) Kramer of Park Rapids; 12 dearly loved grandchildren and 12 precious great-grandchildren; her sister, Verna Slover of Elko, Nevada as well as numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.             She was preceded in death by her parents; her twin brother and sister: Leslie and Shirley who both died in infancy; and her granddaughter, Jennie Walsh.