Joyce Selby

The words were always on Joyce Selby's lips, echoing up from her heart and soul every time she said goodbye to her family. "I love you," Joyce made a point to tell them, the parting thought she wanted to leave them with. To Joyce, family was always everything, from her beloved husband, to her children, to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and she wanted them to know how much she loved them. Today her life, and her love, lives on in all who knew her.

Joyce's story began on a cool November day in 1934, as the change of seasons came to the little community of Cooper. Those were such difficult times in this country, as so many Americans suffered so much hardship during the thick of the Great Depression. Yet on November 15, 1934, Austin and Bea (Hinga) Lancaster found reason for hope and celebration, with the birth of a beautiful baby girl, a daughter they named Joyce. She was born at her home which was an old corn crib which has been converted to a home on the Tyler Farm.

Joyce was an only child for much of her youth. The family moved to their own farm and Joyce grew up on her father's dairy farm in Otsego. She had plenty of chores to do around the farm, teaching her the value of hard work, and also learned how to cook from her mother. When she was eight years old, her parents gave her a baby sister, a daughter they named Phyllis, who Joyce would be so close to the rest of her life. She loved having a little sister, and happily looked after her.

Joyce attended Otsego Schools, and by the time she reached Otsego High School, she had grown into a beautiful, vibrant young woman. One day during study hall, she met a handsome young classmate named Claude "Bud" Selby. It was love at first sight for Bud, who knew right then and there that he was going to marry that beautiful girl! Little did Bud know that Joyce had found her locker was located next to his and she too was having the same thought of marrying the handsome young man one day.

The two dated through most of high school, and after Joyce graduated from Otsego High in 1952. The following year, the young couple was married, on November 7, 1953, at the Cooper Congregational Church. It was just a week before Joyce's 19th birthday, and her parents thought they were too young to get married, but it turned out to be such a beautiful marriage.

It wasn't long before the new bride and groom became mother and father, as well. The couple was blessed with three wonderful children in the coming years, first with their son Lyle in 1955, followed by Cindy in 1957, and Randy rounded out the family in 1959.

Joyce was a wonderful, supportive and loving mother, who happily stayed home to care for the children at their modest Otsego home on three acres. She was there for them in everything they did, from 4-H Club, to choir, to any and all sports they played. As her children grew, and even after they were grown, they knew their mother was there for them no matter what the circumstances were, unequivocally and wholeheartedly.

The family did much together over the years, especially their memorable trips to Baldwin, every summer, for two weeks of fun and camping on Sauble Lake. After her kids had grown and had families of their own, the annual attendance grew, as well. That was such a beloved place for Joyce, and after she and Bud retired, they would spend their entire summers there, relaxing, fishing, and simply enjoying each other's company.

After her kids had grown, Joyce went back to work, and worked for many years as the cashier at the Otsego dime store. She loved the job, and became a beloved fixture there, where so many people knew her by her smiling face and easy demeanor.

Joyce made many friends from working at the dime store, but she made friends easily everywhere she went. She made many friends at the Cooper Congregational Church, where she was an active member for many, many years, serving as a moderator and Sunday school teacher, too.

Joyce raised her children to have faith in the Lord, just as she did, just one of the many lessons she taught them. She taught them to always tell to the truth, the importance of faith, and to never put down others. Joyce was a woman who never held a grudge, always with forgiveness in her heart. She was sweet, but could be sassy, too, and you always knew where you stood with Joyce.

Joyce had many hobbies and interests, and was an active member of TOPS for more than 30 years. She also enjoyed crocheting hats and mittens for her grandchildren, just a few of the gifts she showered them with over the years. Joyce loved animals, and had many beloved pets over the years, from the dogs and cats when the kids were home, to even calves and pigs. And she loved Elvis Presley, her all-time favorite musician.

Most of all, of course, Joyce loved her family, each and every one of them. The greatest days of her life were always the accomplishments and milestones of her family, whether it was births, weddings, anniversaries, or awards. Family was always most important to Joyce.

Sadly, she was diagnosed with brain cancer in the spring of 2007. Ever the caregiver she was, she remained a source of strength for her family, encouraging them to take it one day at a time. Sadly, she died on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at Rose Arbor Hospice in Kalamazoo, at the age of 72.

Joyce was a wonderful woman, who lived such a wonderful life, a life full of faith, friendship, and most of all, family. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who devoted her life to caring for them. Whenever they parted ways, she made a point to say, "I love you." We loved her, too. She will be so greatly missed.

Learn more about Joyce, view her Life Story film, and visit with her family and friends from 5-8 p.m. on Friday at the Life Story Funeral Home, RDMG, Plainwell, 120 S. Woodhams. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the same location. Members of Joyce's family include her husband Bud, 3 children: Lyle and his wife Karen of Plainwell, Cindy and her husband Gene Campbell of Kalamazoo and Randy and his fiancée Diane Mayville of Otsego, 10 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, her sister Phyllis and her husband Harland Tuckey of Gobles . She follows in death her parents and a grandson Hayden. Please visit Joyce's Memory Page at www.lifestorynet.com, where you can read her Life Story, share a favorite memory or photo, sign her memory book or make a memorial donation.