Joyce Dunbar

Joyce Dunbar, 90, of Earlham, IA passed away on Sunday, April 28, 2024 at Community Care Center in Stuart, IA.

Helen Joyce Dunbar, known as Joyce, was born December 12, 1933 to Roland and Lois Harvey. Joyce was the oldest daughter out of 8 children. As a child her family lived in many places; De Soto, lowa, Cannon Falls, MN, Rockford Illinois, St. Louis MO, Little Rock, AR, and Gary, Indiana.

Joyce graduated from De Soto High School in 1951. On October 24,1951 she married the love of her life Darrell A Dunbar in Fort Smith, Arkansas. They made their home in rural Adel, IA and were blessed with 5 children; Nancy, Mike, Loren, Glenda and Susan. Joyce and Darrell shared 60 loving years together.

Joyce was a homemaker with many enjoyable hobbies. Her children enjoyed treats after school she baked up, often times offering her special homemade sticky rolls. She enjoyed watching her favorite soap operas and spending many late nights playing solitaire. She was an avid reader, which probably contributed to her love of playing word games. She greatly enjoyed playing games with family and friends including her sisters and brothers. She was hard to beat in a game of scrabble!

Many of Joyce's hobbies were self taught, such as crocheting, knitting and sewing. She loved to sew, she spent many hours in front of her sewing machine. Her girls wore many homemade dresses while growing up. She also sewed dance costumes for Susan, and some of her granddaughters. She made all of her grandchildren teddy bear pillows and some of her great grandchildren received special quilts for Christmas over the years. There wasn't any sewing project too big for her, which over the years included wedding dresses and even some formal dresses for school dances. Even as Joyce struggled with her eyesight in her later years, she did her best to keep sewing.

An additional passion and hobby of Joyce's was cake decorating. In the late 1960s, Joyce completed a 10 week caking decorating class and not only received her completed certification, but was named grand champion for the wedding cake she decorated. Over the years, she decorated countless birthday cakes and wedding cakes, many for her children and grandchildren as well as other families and couples throughout the community.

Joyce was a dedicated member of the De Soto United Methodist Church where she served in many roles for the United Methodist Women (UMW). She became a well known candy and noodle maker for the UMW's annual fundraisers.

She loved celebrating the Christmas season, and even in rough times, she made sure Christmas was fun for her family. Her own children and grandchildren have carried forward many of Joyce's special holiday traditions with their own families.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents; her 7 siblings; her husband, Darrell; her son, Mike and her granddaughter, Jennifer Sly (Heaberlin).

Those celebrating her life include her children, Nancy (Chris) Jensen, Loren Dunbar, Glenda (David) Heaberlin, and Susan (Tom) Jenkins; her 13 grandchildren, 34 great grandchildren, and 4 great, great grandchildren and many extended family members and friends.

A visitation for Joyce will be held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Friday, May 3, 2024 at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home Adel Chapel, with a service beginning at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at Oakland Cemetery in De Soto, IA. Memorial contributions are encouraged to De Soto United Methodist Church. Online condolences can be made to the family at caldwellparrish.com.