Van Duyn, Joyce E.

Joyce E. Van Duyn, 89, of Iowa City, died Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, at Mercy Iowa City. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at First Presbyterian Church, with the Rev. Sam Massey officiating. Burial will be in Memory Gardens Cemetery. Friends may call Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service, Iowa City.

Memorials may be directed to the First Presbyterian Church of Iowa City.

Joyce was born July 23, 1920, in Wolverhampton, England. She was 19 years old when Hitler's forces invaded Poland. She worked as a comptometer operator during the war and volunteered in the Auxiliary Fire Service. In 1944, she met an American Air Force soldier stationed near Blackpool, England. They were married on Dec. 6, 1945, and celebrated 63 years of this union. Joyce came to the United States in April 1946 on the Queen Mary along with 1800 other war brides. She and Richard first lived in Waterloo at the Van Duyn Family Farm.

Joyce was an active member of First Presbyterian Church for 52 years. She served in many positions, including the building committee for the present church. Joyce was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. She worked as secretary of Roosevelt Elementary School for many years and also enjoyed her years as a sales consultant of the Iowa City Enzler's store. Joyce volunteered in the gift shop at Mercy Iowa City for many years. Joyce and Richard loved to travel and often wintered in Florida and Arizona. Their airstream group, Wally Byan Caravan Club International, took them to every state in the U.S.

Joyce and Richard raised their family in Iowa City. She is survived by four children, Susan Van Duyn Cross of West Des Moines, John (Jody) Van Duyn of Scottsdale, Ariz., Bill (Cheryl) Van Duyn of Naples, Fla., and Christopher (Grace) Van Duyn of Redondo Beach, Calif.; nine grandchildren, Heather (Jay) Agnew, Matthew (Mandy) Cross, Amy Van Duyn, Barry Van Duyn, Staci Van Duyn, Lindsey (Tim) Poindexter, Morgan and Lily Van Duyn and Chelsea Van Duyn. Joyce has five great-grandchildren, Trevor and Meghan Agnew and Gavin, Zachary and Noah Cross.

Joyce was preceded in death by her loving husband, Richard in February 2009; her parents, William and Lily Evans; her sister, Audrey Williams; and brother, John Evans.

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