Joyce Enid Buehrens

Sturtevant -- Mrs. Joyce E. (nee: Watts) Buehrens, 82, passed away on Thursday, March 29, 2012, in her home surrounded by family after a long illness.

Joyce was born in Chicago on December 29, 1929, to the late William and Myfanwy “Bonnie” (nee: Jones) Watts and has lived in the Racine area for the past 59 years. She was a graduate of Kenosha’s Mary D. Bradford High School class of 1947 and had attended two years of college at the U.W. extension center. She was united in marriage to Robert E. Buehrens on March 4, 1950; he preceded her in death on September 25, 2000.

Although she was a stay-at-home mother to her eight children for many years, Joyce had been formerly employed by the Racine Journal Times as a freelance writer and ARA services (Racine Unified hot lunch program) at Schulte School from 1973 to 1985. Joyce was also active in Faith Lutheran Church, the SWD-LWML where she held various positions, the Christian Service League, Women’s Bible Study, Sunday School Superintendent, Adult Bible Class, a volunteer at the RLHS Thrift Store, formerly active as the VBS Superintendent, and Girl Scouts of Racine County. With the Girl Scouts, she had been a troop leader, day camp director, counselor and, most importantly, cookie sale chairman. Joyce also loved camping, hiking, traveling, knitting, sewing, crocheting, swimming and was a Jeopardy wiz. But most of all, she made many lasting friendships and was a loving mother to all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Joyce will be dearly missed by her children, Trudy (Dave) Kristopeit, Nancy (James) Brichacek, Eileen (Wendell) Zirbel, Linda (Patrick) Polcin, Henry Buehrens, Mary (James) Sandberg, Richard (Mary) Buehrens, and James (Marie) Buehrens; grandchildren, Michael (Rachel) Kristopeit, Katie (Kevin) Hagen, Joshua (Suzanne) Kristopeit, Jason (Jeannette) Zirbel, Jeremy (Leanne) Zirbel, Heidi (Spencer) Frost, Wendy Polcin, Jamie, Robert and Holly Sandberg, Austin and Andrew Buehrens, Amanda (Casey) Hollander, Ryan and Rebecca Buehrens; great-grandchildren, Haley, Carley, Corra, Carter, Gus, Maggie, Harper, Cheyenne, Damon, Ava, Kennedy and Brooklyn; her sisters, Phyllis Gordon, Lois (Bill) Mellen, Susie Hatch; sister-in-law, June Foth; cousins, Eleanor (Bob) Holtz and Joan Wooten; as well as many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert; parents, four brothers-in-law, and one sister-in-law.

Funeral services in honor of Joyce will be held at Faith Lutheran Church, 8500 Durand Ave., on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, at 11 a.m. with Rev. Jeffery Mortenson and Rev. Jason Zirbel officiating. Interment will follow at West Lawn Memorial Park. Relatives and friends are invited to meet with the family at Wilson Funeral Home on Monday, April 2, 2012, from 5 to 8 p.m. and on Tuesday at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of service. Memorials in honor of Joyce may be directed to Faith Lutheran Church or Concordia Lutheran School.

Wilson Funeral Home
1212 Lathrop Ave., Racine 262-634-3361