Joyce Pangburn

Joyce Boyd Pangburn was born December 3, 1930 in Wessington, SD. The third child born to Elmer and Cecile (Beadles) Boyd, she spent the early years of her life on a farm near Tulare, SD. The family moved to Huron in 1935 where Joyce, her sister Deloris (Dee), and eventually brother Gerald attended elementary school. In 1941 the family relocated to Red Lake Falls, MN, where Elmer was offered employment. In 1945 the family returned to Huron where Joyce enrolled in and completed high school. During her high school years, she began a lifelong career in health care when she was hired at the age of 14 as a nurse aide in the Tschetter Holmes Clinic.

 In the summer of 1948 Joyce accepted a job at Hand County Memorial Hospital in Miller, SD. It was there that she met her future mother-in-law who encouraged her son to ask “that cute new nurse” out on a date. And the rest is history. On June 11, 1950, Joyce was united in marriage to Robert (Bob) Pangburn and they began their life as a married couple on a farm 18 miles south of Miller. Their union was blessed with 4 children: Michael, Kenneth, Patricia and Mary. In addition to raising her family, Joyce was an active charter member of Pleasant Valley Presbyterian Church, Sunshine Grange, P.E.O. Sisterhood, and she served as a 4-H project leader.

In 1970 the family moved to Corning, IA when Bob took a job with the National Farmers Organization and Joyce resumed her career as a nurse’s aide, first at Colonial Manor Nursing Home and later at Rosary Hospital. While at the hospital she served in various other capacities: ward clerk, medical records, utilization review coordinator, and the first director of social services. Joyce was a member of Corning First Presbyterian Church, where she served as an elder, was active in Deborah Circle, volunteered her time as Thrift Shop manager, and taught Sunday School. She was a member of P.E.O. and the Corning Woman’s Club. She was an accomplished seamstress and enjoyed doing needlework, creating keepsakes for each of her children and grandchildren. 

Joyce is survived by son Michael, Pierre, SD and his children Merideth Pangburn and Christopher Pangburn and their mother Kay Jorgensen; son Ken (Kathy Goldsmith) Pangburn, Corning, IA, and their children Constance (James) Cecil and their children Ethan and Caitlin, and Rob (Chelsey Hogan) and their children Parker, Natalie, and Mitchell; daughter Mary Robison, Burlington Junction, MO, and her daughter Maggie Underhill (Trystan) Lair and their children Dylan and Addison (Dawson Hardesty) and their son Sawyer; and 4 step-grandchildren: Mina Hopkins, Chad Robison, Robie Robison, Terra Asta and their spouses and children. Other survivors include sister Dee Anderson, sisters-in-law Jean Pangburn Goodspeed and Sally Pangburn (Gary) Kulm, and numerous nieces and nephews. 

 She was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years Bob, her parents Elmer and Cecile Boyd, parents-in-law Dr. Merrill and Constance Pangburn, daughter Patricia, brother Jerry Boyd, infant brother Donald, sons-in-law Mike Underhill and Terry Robison, sister in-law Merrilyn Pangburn (Merle) Baxter, brothers-in-law Dr John T. Anderson and Bob Goodspeed, and niece Tracy Goodspeed Hutson.