Joyce E. Den Herder, 90, of Maquoketa, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Sunday morning, April 3, 2022, at Clover Ridge Place in Maquoketa.

A celebration of Joyce’s life will be held at 11 A.M., Thursday, April 7, 2022, at United Church of Christ in Maquoketa.  Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. at the church.  Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery, Maquoketa, Iowa.

Joyce Elaine Thompson was born on April 21, 1931, in Bismark, North Dakota to James and Anna (Zacharias) Thompson. At the age of 5, Joyce moved with her family to Canby, Minnesota where she would graduate in 1948.  She attended one year of training from Minnesota Teacher Training and taught 6 years for Yellow Medicine County Country Schools where she taught kindergarten through 8^th grade. After the country schools closed, Joyce worked for 3 years for Otter Trail Power Utility in Canby Minnesota.

On March 8, 1958, Joyce married Merle Den Herder at the Presbyterian church in Canby, Minnesota. They eventually made their home in Boyden, Iowa, where two children would join this union, Renea and Tory.  The family moved to Maquoketa, IA in June of 1973.  Joyce worked at Ben Franklin for one year and then was hired on as the billing clerk for the Maquoketa Municipal Electric Utility for 20 years until her retirement on April 29, 1993.

Joyce enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. She was an amazing seamstress, enjoyed all arts and crafts, gardening, especially the flowers, and she was an active member of the United Church of Christ. In Joyce’s last few years, she spent many hours coloring and loved to share her pictures with everyone.

Those left to honor her memory include her children, Renea (Doug) Yarolim of Maquoketa, IA and Tory Den Herder of Maquoketa, IA; 6 grandchildren, Ashley Den Herder, Zachary Den Herder, Shelby Den Herder, Amber Yarolim, Andrew Yarolim, and Austin Yarolim; brother-in-law, Darrell Kriese of Alexandria, MN; sisters-in-law, Muriel (Den Herder) Smith, Ruby Den Herder, and Midge Den Herder; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Merle Den Herder on April 14, 1996, one grandson Jacob Yarolim on June 18, 2006, her parents, and three sisters Arlyn (Ovie) Carlson, Marilys (Roger) Aune and Zelda Kriese.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be directed to Hospice of Jackson County or the United Church of Christ in Maquoketa.

The Carson Celebration of Life Center in Maquoketa is caring for the family.  Online Condolences may be left at www.CarsonAndSon.com.