Joyce H. Moes, 76, of Watertown, SD, peacefully completed her journey home to our Lord and her heavenly family on Tuesday, September 17, 2013. Joyce finally surrendered to her long and courageous battle with cancer. She died, as she had lived, surrounded by her loving family.
Funeral mass for Joyce will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, September 21, 2013 at the Immaculate Conception Church in Watertown, with Father Paul Rutten officiating. Music will be provided by organist Danielle Holmquist-Holida and cantor Lisa Mauer, Joyce's niece. Visitation will be Friday, September 20, 2013 from 4:00-7:00 p.m., with a scripture service at 7:00 p.m., and a Rosary to follow, at the Wight, Comes & Sogn Funeral Chapel in Watertown. Visitation will continue on Saturday for one hour prior to Mass at the church. Interment will be in St. Mary's Cemetery, Watertown, SD. Pallbearers will be her great nephews: Troy Hemiller, Shannon Moes, Robin Russell, Shawn Moes, Chris Brandriet, Matt Moes, Ben Mauer and Mitch Moes. Joyce was born on September 4, 1937 on the family farm near Goodwin, SD to Roy and Agnes (Bohls) Moes. She grew up on the farm with an extended family of three brothers, one sister-in-law, two nieces, and a nephew. She was baptized at Holy Rosary Church and started her schooling in Kranzburg, SD. Joyce and her parents moved into Watertown in 1947. She became a member of Immaculate Conception Church and School where she completed grade school and junior high school. She graduated from Watertown High School in 1955. Joyce's son, Rodney was born in 1956 and shortly thereafter, she started a near life long career in banking at the First Citizen's National Bank in uptown Watertown. She remained with First Citizen's through it's transitions to First National Bank, then Norwest Bank, and finally to Wells Fargo Bank where she retired after 40+ years. Several generations of bank employees and patrons remember her fondly as the impeccably dressed teller with a friendly smile and the "perfect hair". Even after retirement, former bank patrons would call her at home for help with checkbook problems. Family and friends very fondly remember an extremely short career as a "swim instructor" in the Sunshine Ads. Retirement life was too quiet for Joyce, and after a short time at home, she returned to the customer service roots she loved. She went to work at Osco Drug in the Watertown Mall until it closed its doors. She also worked at Hy-Vee grocery store until 2011 when her second bout with cancer forced her to quit. She truly loved family, her many friends, and people watching all her life. In her younger years she enjoyed camping, boating, fishing, water skiing, and snowmobiling. She also enjoyed outdoor activities that everyone loves, such as mowing lawn in the summer and shoveling snow off the sidewalks in the winter. Both of her oncologists marveled at the fact that she would rather do them instead of having her perfectly capable son take care of them. She took great pride in being independent and to be able to say "she could". Joyce also loved to travel her whole life. She enjoyed numerous trips to California to be with family. She also flew to Hawaii, and once went on a Caribbean cruise. In her later years, she enjoyed spending time with family, neighborhood walks, and her job at the grocery store. She especially loved eating popcorn and playing dominos with her nieces whom she claimed all her life felt more like her "sisters". Happy and very thankful to have shared her life are her son, Rodney Moes and his wife, Cindy Lee; a younger brother, Ken Moes and his wife, Lacy; a sister-in-law, Rita Moes; ten nieces; seven nephews; and a multitude of distant nieces, nephews, and cousins who will all miss her dearly. She was preceded in death by her parents; her older brothers, Harold and Clifford Moes; her sister-in-law, Harold's wife Margaret and two of their children, Shirley and Roger Moes. The family has requested memorials in her honor to be directed to the Mayo Clinic at 200 1st St. S.W., Rochester, MN 55905 or the American Cancer Society at 4904 S. Technopolis Dr., Sioux Falls, SD 57106-4230.