Joyce Floan — Wanamingo

Joyce E. Floan, 84, of Wanamingo, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at Mayo Clinic Hospital-Saint Marys Campus, Rochester.

A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Monday, March 14, at Wanamingo Lutheran Church in Wanamingo, with Pastor Chris Culuris and Pastor David Krinke officiating. A visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, March 13, at Mahn Funeral Home-Larson Chapel in Zumbrota, and for one hour prior to the service on Monday at the church.

Joyce Elaine Nelson was born in Goodhue County on Dec. 5, 1931, to Arthur and Lillian (Erickson) Nelson. Joyce attended Roscoe Country School and graduated from Wanamingo High School in 1949. After high school Joyce worked for Rochester Public Schools from 1949-1951. Joyce married Roger Floan on June 28, 1951, at Stordahl Lutheran Church. After marriage, Joyce moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, while Roger was stationed there in the U.S. Air Force, and she worked for the Better Business Bureau. In 1952 they moved back home to work on the family farm and raise their children.

After nine years of working on the farm Joyce worked several jobs and enjoyed staying busy. She was a secretary for Trinity Lutheran and Wanamingo Lutheran churches. Joyce worked for the Wanamingo school as a secretary and as an office manager for Rochester Public Schools until 1994, when she retired. After retiring from the school system, Joyce worked at Garden Gate and Baker and Axelson Accounting in Wanamingo until 2008. Joyce was known as the "strawberry lady," bringing them home by the van-full for friends and family. Joyce enjoyed fishing trips to Lake Kabetogama with her husband, family and friends, and 4th of July parties, but her passion was her family, spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Joyce is survived by her four sons, Rollie (Linda) of Cornelius, N.C., Gary (Deb) of Zumbrota, Grant (Claire) of Kaneohe, Hawaii, and Jay (Sheila) of Kailua, Hawaii; three grandchildren, Josh (Jackie), Elias and Luke (Linnea Nelson); two great-grandchildren, Chloe and Kelton; sisters, Shirley Baker of Wanamingo, Jan (Dex) Henschel of Albert Lea; and several nieces and nephews.

Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Roger; parents; and brother-in-law, Erling Baker.