Joy Walz

Celebration of Life Services for Joy Walz will be 10:30 am Friday, February 20, 2015, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Milford. Visitation will begin at 3:30 pm Thursday at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford with the family present from 4 - 7 pm, with a Parish Scripture Service at 7 pm. To honor Joy's wish, please wear brightly colored clothes to the service. Joy Joanne Walz, 48 years of age, passed away peacefully at Lakes Regional Healthcare on Monday, February 16, 2015 at 12:20 AM. Although she will not be walking beside us on this earth, she now has the pleasure of meeting her King at the gates of Heaven. A funeral service will take place at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on February 20th at 10:30 A.M. with Father Brian Hughes, Father Jeremy Wind, and Father Tom Flanagan presiding. As Joy asked for, Johnny Sandy Jr. will be the vocalist and Jennifer Heller will be the organist. Joy will be buried at Calvary Cemetery in Milford, Iowa. Joy was brought into this world on March 21, 1966, the daughter of loving parents, Perry John Willison and Marvelyn Joanne Willison. After growing up in Milford and graduating from Milford High School, Joy went on to Stewart School of Cosmetology in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where she received her cosmetology license. On August 20, 1988, Joy had the pleasure of marrying the love of her life, John Lee Walz, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Milford. For eighteen dear years of her life, Joy had her own in home daycare, where she raised many kids with all of her love and affection. Throughout the years Joy has lived in Ames and Estherville, but for the last sixteen years Joy and John have settled down in Spirit Lake, Iowa to raise their three kids. With much commitment, Joy lived her life a strong Catholic and dedicated endless amounts of her time helping at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. She had countless hobbies and interests, but she would sure tell you about her deep love for reading, drinking infinite cups of coffee, attending church activities, camping, spending time at her parent's farm and simply being with family. She was survived by her husband, John; one daughter, Morgan and two sons, J.P. and Wesley; parents, John and Tuttie Willison; sister, Jill (Todd) Kramer and their family, Nicole, Kari, and Kelli, sister, Janette (Jim) Willison and her daughter, Jordan, sister, Jackie (James) Barksdale and their children, James, Justin, Shane, Jonathon, Caleb, Colby, and Callie, sister, Jenna Willison (Lino) and their family Qamryan, Marqice and baby girl; several other beloved family members and friends. Joy was preceded in death by her grandparents, Hugo and Florence Sander, Clifford and Alvena Willison, and Irvin and Opal Knutson.