Joyce A. (Flurer) Stevens

Joyce A. Stevens, 87, of Clarion passed away Sunday, May 8, 2016 at Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion.

Funeral services for Joyce Stevens will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, May 12, 2016 at the United Church of Christ Congregational, 115 3rd Avenue Northwest in Clarion, with Pastor Bill Kem officiating. Burial will take place at Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue in Clarion, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Thursday.

Joyce Arlene (Flurer) Stevens, the daughter of Cliff and Iona (Lamb) Flurer was born October 21, 1928, two miles east of Clarion. The family moved to Blairsburg where she attended Kindergarten through 5th grade, then moved to the family farm in Lincoln Township where she attended Lincoln #5 school through 8th grade. Joyce rode the bus to Clarion and graduated from Clarion High School in 1946. Following high school, Joyce went on to attend Drake University for 2 years.

Joyce worked as a secretary at the Clarion Elevator and at the Farm Bureau Office.

On October 17, 1948, Joyce was united in marriage to Robert Stevens. To this union, four children were born: Penny, Sandy, Peggy and Mike.

Joyce was a member of the United Church of Christ Congregational where she was a 50+ year member and was very active in Women’s Fellowship and various boards. She was a member of Rainbow, Eastern Star, DAR, Federated Garden Club, 3 C’s, Bridge Club and was a hospital volunteer.

Joyce loved her flowers, gardening and sewing, making cream cheese mints for her children and grandchildren’s graduations and weddings, and making jelly from the grape vines on the farm. Joyce and Bob loved dancing to Big Bands at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake.

If you didn’t know Joyce, you didn’t know that she collected over 100 teapots and butterflies of all colors and sizes on display everywhere throughout the house.

In 1995, Joyce and Bob moved to town after living on the farm south of Clarion for 45 years.

Joyce is survived by her husband Bob of 67+ years; children Sandra (Mike) Studer, Peggy Nelsen (fiancé Mike Clutter) and Michael (Jan) Stevens and son-in-law Art Larson. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Angela Larson, Pamela (Randy) Washburn, Alan (Cara) Larson, Meghan (Dan) Derner, Jonas Studer, Marty Nelsen, Greg Nelsen (fiancée Sara), Kelly Stevens (fiancé James) and Adam Stevens, along with 15 great-grandchildren. Other survivors include her sister, Sally (Pat) Courtney and sister-in-law Vannatta Flurer.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Don Flurer and her daughter Penny Larson.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the United Church of Christ Congregational, Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion, or Gentiva Hospice.