Funeral services for Joyce Matheny, age 85, of Mobridge will be Saturday, July 27, 2013 at 10:00 AM at Sacred Word Lutheran Church. Visitation will be Friday, July 26, 2013 from 2PM to 7Pm with a prayer service at 7:00PM at Kesling Funeral Home. Inurnment will be at a later date. Joyce passed away Sunday, July 21, 2013 at the Golden Living Center in Mobridge. Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge is in charge of arrangements.

Joyce Matheny was born Ellen Joyce Backhaus on September 27, 1927 to George and Vera (Yeater) Backhaus in Emmons County, North Dakota. She grew up near Pollock, South Dakota on a farm. She graduated the 8th grade and then obtained her GED.

The Backhaus family moved to Oregon for a short while and then moved back to South Dakota. While in Oregon, Joyce married Jack Wheeler and on January 1, 1948 had the first of 5 children, Dennis Wheeler. They were divorced and Joyce later moved to New Jersey where she remarried to, Milton Matheny, who was in the Military. They moved around a lot and had 4 more children: Danny Lee Matheny (Texas); Vicki Kay Matheny (New Jersey); Valerie Ann Matheny (South Dakota); and Alton George Matheny (South Dakota). Joyce moved to South Dakota with her children, separating and later divorcing Milton, living in Pollock and Mound City before making her home in Mobridge in August of 1959.

Joyce lived out her years in Mobridge, raising her family and taking on many odd jobs including taking in ironing, housecleaning, fry cook, janitor at several places with her children before starting a 20 hour work week as Parish Secretary at Trinity Lutheran Church and Norway Lutheran Church on November 15, 1967. She then worked part time at Piggly-Wiggly until her employment as Parish Secretary became full time. She was hired by Pastor Leroy Flagstad and also served Pastor Leroy Stadem, Pastor Roger Noer, Pastor Douglas Heskin and Pastor Dennis Fonkert as well as other Pastors and interns who served Trinity Lutheran Church.

Joyce was very highly involved in her church and served for 26 years until her retirement in 1993. She was honored in the ACTS, a paper published by the American Lutheran Church. She was commissioned by the ELCA as an Associate in Ministry on October 8, 1975. She was secretary for both the Grand River and Missouri River Branch of the Lutheran Brotherhood and in 1990 was nominated for the National Lutheran Brotherhood Fraternalist of the Year. She attended many conferences over the years representing her parishes.

Joyce was also very highly active and involved with youth in the church and in the community. She traveled with Trinity youth to the ELCA National Youth Conferences. She was involved in the Mobridge-Klein Youth Center from its inception in 1971, for many years being the manager of the center, until the organization was dissolved in 2001.

Joyce belonged to the Mobridge Garden Club as a Charter Member and served in different official capacities over the years. She was involved in many other organization: Trinity Lutheran Church Women, Oahe Learning Center, Mobridge Regional Hospital Auxiliary, and Trinity Quilting. She helped organize family reunions for the Yeater Family Cousins and for the Backhaus Family for many years was well. She worked at the Beverly Health Care center from June of 1997 to May of 2006 in the Activities Center.

Joyce was most proud of the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She was an advocate of the good qualities of everyone no matter who they were or what they did. She was a Charter Member of Sacred Word Lutheran Church in Mobridge, SD. During her pass time. Joyce enjoyed watching Twins baseball games, playing cribbage, playing yahtzee, crocheting, and quilting. She resided at the Golden Living Center from April 15, 2013 to her death on Sunday, July 21, 2013.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents George Backhaus and Vera (Yeater) Backhaus and her brothers Leroy Backhaus of Vermillion and Russell Backhaus of Alaska.

She is survived by: Her brothers, Gordon and Jean Backhaus of Rapid City, Dallas and Donna Backhaus of Rochester, Minn. and her sister Donna Mae and Ken Hinson of Nesho, Missouri; her children, Dennis and Dorothy Wheeler of Mobridge, SD, Danny Matheny of Omaha, NE., Vicki and Brent Dunfee of San Bernardino, CA., Valerie Matheny of Mobridge, SD, and Alton Matheny of Omaha, NE. Grandchildren: Ryan Wheeler, Chad Wheeler, Falisha Matheny, Jason Matheny, Justin Matheny, Chantilly Christopherson, Breanne Dunfee, Taiana Lee Matheny, Great-Grandchildren: Serenity Wheeler, Augustus Matheny, Phoenix Matheny, and Edward Christopherson.

Memorials to Sacred Word Lutheran Church, Mobridge Garden Club, Public Library, Klein Museum, Swimming Pool Fund.