Joyce Wilcox

Joyce Wilcox, age 82, formerly of Madelia, Minnesota, died peacefully on January 26, 2012. Preceded in death by husband, George. She is survived by her children, Earl (Valerie), Dwight (Sue), George Wayne (Charity), and Elizabeth Kim (Gary) Robinett; eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. A Celebration of Joyce's Life will be 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, February 1, 2012 at Mattson Funeral Home, 343 North Shore Drive, Forest Lake. Gathering half hour prior to service. Interment at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery. Joyce was the only child of Francis Brewster and Leo William Holmes, born in 1929, briefly living in Foxhome, Minnesota, then moving to Wayzata, Minnesota. Joyce's father, Bill Holmes, died shortly thereafter of appendicitis. In 1936, Francis married Earl Harry Wheat, a class mate of Hope ND high school, who adopted Joyce as his daughter. The Wheat family moved to Sioux Falls South Dakota opening an electrician business until the war, when they moved to Benicia, California where Earl worked in the shipyards as an electrician and Francis served as a colonel in the Red Cross Motor Pool. Following the war the family returned to Watertown South Dakota opening an electric motor repair shop. Joyce graduated Watertown High School in 1946 and went on to the University of South Dakota at Vermillion. She began dating and ultimately married George Wilcox, also of Watertown, South Dakota. Joyce and George had four children: Earl, Dwight, Wayne, and Kim. Joyce kept the home and sometimes worked as an English teacher in local schools. In 1968 the family moved to Madelia Minnesota. Joyce changed careers, taking Emergency Medical Technician training and classes, and accepting a position as Industrial Nurse at Tony Downs Foods of Madelia. For many years she served the community in this role, helping and aiding the many workers, keeping minor injuries from becoming serious problems, until she retired in 1994. Joyce and George continued to live in Madelia until 2001 when George died. Joyce moved to the White Bear Lake area, nearer to family, and finally to Windy Acres in Forest Lake, where the staff provided loving care in the final years of her life.

Funeral Home: Mattson Funeral Home 343 North Shore Drive Forest Lake, MN US 55025

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Previous Events

Visitation
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Service
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
cemetery
Wednesday, February 1, 2012

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