Joy A. Wilhelm, formerly of Wheatland, Wyoming, died on April 24, 2023, at Highland Park Care Center in Alliance, Nebraska.
Platte County’s first baby of the year in 1947, Joy was born January 2 in Wheatland to Hilly and Carlene Fender. She grew up in Salida, Colorado with her sisters Judy and Hap. Joy had a beautiful singing voice and was the first soprano in the high school choir and select vocal groups. She graduated from Salida High School in 1965 with a music scholarship.
One summer while she was in college, she met a milkman at Vimbo’s in Wheatland. She and Will Wilhelm fell in love and married in January 1968. They had two children, Melody and Rodney. She and Will lived happily until he passed away on November 22, 2003. After his death, Joy continued to live and work in Wheatland but missed the love of her life terribly. She was never the same after he was gone.
Wheatland residents may remember Joy as the manager of the Sub Shoppe downtown, a cashier at Pamida, and the manager of Vimbo’s Motel. After her retirement in 2015, her health declined until she could no longer live alone. She moved to Highland Park Care Center in October 2020 under the watchful, loving eye of Rodney and his wife Nyla. The staff at Highland Park will miss her sense of humor and witty comebacks. So will her children.
Joy’s greatest strength as a mother was helping her children see things as they are and understanding that death is part of life. Because of this, Melody and Rodney celebrate the reunion of their parents. They are together, now and forever.
Preceding her in death were her husband of 35 years; her parents and grandparents; parents-in-law, Jacob and Lydia Wilhelm; sisters Diane Rutledge and Hap Younger; brothers-in-law Jim, Jake, Fred, and Jerry Wilhelm; and sisters-in-law Ruby Bonifacini, Betty Karriker, Gladys Nagel, Barbara Kittell, and Sandra Cancino.
Joy’s survivors include her daughter, Melody (Craig) Nottage of Laramie, Wyoming; son Rodney (Nyla) Wilhelm of Glendale, Arizona; grandchildren, Courtney (Jared) Wilson and Robert Osborne, Jr of Cheyenne, Wyoming; great-granddaughter, Hazel Wilson; sister, Judy Fender of Salida, Colorado; brother-in-law, Jess Cantrell of Casper; sister-in-law Dee Wilhelm and numerous nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place, with a private ceremony later. The family requests any donations be made to your favorite charity.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com with Bates-Gould Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.