Joyce Billmark Obituary

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Joyce Adeline (Feigum) Billmark, age 95, was born on April 23, 1929. She died in her beloved Milaca, MN on April 15, 2025, seven days shy of her 96th birthday.

She grew up in Kingsdale, MN near the Wisconsin border helping run the family store and post office. She was a hard worker, helping with gardening, canning, laundry, cleaning and caring for her younger siblings. Joyce loved picking wild blueberries and chokecherries, and exploring the woods, ponds, and creeks with her beloved brother Russ. She was loved by so many adults in her small town, visiting and receiving homemade goodies wherever she went.

Joyce left Kingsdale bound for Minneapolis and Beauty School. Her hair was so beautiful she was selected by a famous New York hairdresser to be his hair styling model.

The handsome Roy coaxed the sweet and beautiful Joyce to dance while she was with friends at the Calhoun Ballroom. He asked to take her to church, and she was smitten. They were married December 1948 in Minneapolis.

Their first home was on the West River Road, with an outhouse and handle pump in the kitchen sink. They soon moved to a larger home in the country between Osseo and Champlin expertly rebuilt by Roy after a fire. Joyce was very busy but happy here raising her six well behaved children, keeping house, gardening, canning, and always baking homemade rolls and her famous brown bread. She made time to be a faithful friend to neighbors. Morning coffee with a friend was a daily occurrence.

A new job brought the family to Milaca, MN in the early sixties. Joyce found a church home at Trinity Lutheran and faithful friends that lasted a lifetime. She worked a fulltime night job so she could be home with the kids during the day.

A new job again relocated Joyce and family for two years to the country outside Duluth with horses and acreage. She was again picking wild blueberries, once with a bear picking the other side of the bush.

Back to Milaca in 1966, same home on the edge of town, back with her friends, church, and night job. In 1970 Joyce and family moved to a farm near town with a larger home. She hosted Christmas Eve, welcoming her kids, sons-and-daughters-in-law and soon grandchildren and great-grandchildren totaling up to 28 or more for church, Lutefisk dinner, caroling, and gifts.

When the steep stairs at the Farm became difficult, it was sold, and the rambler on Co Rd 5 was purchased. Joyce loved having the laundry on the main floor.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents Mabel and Robert Feigum; sibs Norma, Margie, Connie, Bob, Russ, Don, and Merlin; husband Roy; grandsons Troy (Arnie) and Benjamin (Gordie).

She is already deeply missed by sister Nancy and brother Peter; children Arnie (Mary), Chris (Merlyn), Larry (Hilda), Dan (Diane), Gordie (Nettie), Julie (Myron); grandchildren Kaycie, Bailey, Cameron, Lukas, Kyle, Daine, Nadie, Kayla, Kesha, Bjorn, Anne; great-grandchildren Nicole, Cian, Bram, Reid, Izzy, Emily, Evie, Mac, Senya, Gus, Heletta, Evelina, Van; special foreign exchange students Tony Bui (Cata), Khoa Bui (Allisha).

Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 24, 2025 at 11 AM at Trinity Lutheran Church in Milaca. Interment will follow at Forest Hill Cemetery. Visitation will take place one hour prior to the service at the church on Thursday.