Joyce Rodman

JOYCE ILENE RODMAN was born on October 16, 1931 to Hans and Beatrice (Schamp) Namanny in Flandreau, South Dakota. Joyce was raised in Wolsey, South Dakota where she attended school. Following her education, Joyce worked for a short time at the Huron Hospital in the Polio Unit. On October 23, 1949, she was united in marriage to Bruce Alen Rodman. Following their marriage, they lived in Redfield, South Dakota. In1950, they moved to Miller, South Dakota and in 1953, moved to Ree Heights, South Dakota. Then in 1956, they moved to Huron, South Dakota and in 1958 they moved to rural Pipestone, Minnesota. In 1962 they moved into Ihlen, Minnesota, where Joyce currently resided. Joyce worked for a short time at the sewing factory in Pipestone. She also worked with home health and took on several mowing jobs for the elderly people until purchasing the Grocery Store in Ihlen in November of 1976. They continued to run the grocery store and post office out of the building on the main street until 1985 when they enclosed the front porch of their house in order to move the post office and store there. They both remained open until September of 2013 when they were closed due to Joyce’s health. Joyce remained in her home under the care of hospice and her daughters until she died peacefully on Sunday, June 1, 2014 surrounded by her family at the age of 82 year, 7 months and 15 days.
Joyce was a member of the Zion United Methodist Church in Pipestone where she was a Sunday school teacher and also sang in the church choir until the church closed. She was active in the Split Rock Creek State Park Advisory Board, the Ihlen Cemetery Board and served as treasurer for the Ihlen Community Church. She wrote the Ihlen News that was published weekly in the Pipestone Star for the past 36 Years, including this past week. Joyce enjoyed baking, cake decorating, crocheting, oil painting, glass painting and sewing.
Joyce is lovingly remembered by her daughters: Cheryl (John) Doerr of Pipestone, Geraldine (Terry) Abell of Newport, Minnesota, Barbara (Steve) Eggerud of Woodstock, Minnesota, Pamula (Doug) Fey of Woodstock, Minnesota, Merna Hansen of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Jode (Dennise) Bjerke of Kingman, Arizona; 9 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; siblings, June (Lyle) Baker and Shirley Bell both of Rapid City, South Dakota, and Janet Volmer of Loveland, Colorado. Sister-in-law Verna Rodman of Huron, South Dakota, brother-in-law Jim Mortimer of Hitchcock, South Dakota and her Godchildren: Lisa, Amy and Wade. She is preceded in death by her husband, Bruce, one brother, James “Dick” Namanny, one sister Maxine Hein, her parents, and several sisters-in-laws and brothers-in-law.