Joyce Lorraine Sylvester

Joyce Lorraine (Christensen) Sylvester, 80, of Fort Peck, Mont., passed away the morning of Friday, April 8, 2022, peacefully with family.

A memorial service will be held 2 p.m., Thursday, April 14, at Bell Mortuary. A reception will follow at the Cottonwood Inn starting at 3 p.m. A private family inurnment will be in Highland Cemetery in Glasgow, Mont.

Joyce Lorraine Christensen was born Oct. 28, 1941, in Hinsdale, Mont., to Margaret Ann (Renken) Christensen and Julius Oliver Christensen. She joined an older brother Darrel Christensen and then two younger sisters, Janice Christensen (St. Claire) and Linda Christensen (Porteen).

As a child, Joyce loved acting, dancing, playing dressing up with her siblings. She also enjoyed making paper dolls out of old catalogs and clothes for her kittens but, she said, "they didn't like it very much" and laughed. During her teenage years, Joyce loved singing at the church, teaching Sunday school and playing the baritone at Hinsdale High School. "Music always played an important role in my life. Even in my younger years I always remember our house filled with song."

Joyce married after high school and lived in Glasgow, she had four beautiful children: Stacey, Daniel, Margot and Harlin. They tragically passed away at a very young age. She was looking forward to seeing her little angels in Heaven. Joyce felt God had a special calling for her in her life. "I feel the only and most important purpose to my life was to contribute in the best way I could as a friend, wife and especially as a good mother. I believe He taught me, after the loss of my children, that maybe I could help and be there for others who were having troubled times in their lives. I have worked very hard at this."

Joyce married Sam Sylvester on Nov. 4, 1969, in Glasgow. They had three children, Rockwell Joel Sylvester, Shawn Lear Sylvester and Tara Lynn Sylvester, and Dennis Hanzlik was loved as one of her own. She enjoyed raising her children and being active at Nashua School being a school cook, sewing uniforms for choir, band and cheerleading and helping with all her kid's multitude of events and activities. Joyce was an active leader in the Lucky Clover 4-H Club and ran the 4-H Food Booth at the Glasgow Fair for several years. Joyce was a leader in the Nashua Community Club and in the construction of Ol' Smokey Rodeo grounds in Nashua and the famous Nashua Winterfest. One of her favorite past times was gardening. "I love gardening, and I think the best tip I can give is patience and knowledge. Seeing things grow can be so rewarding, harvesting a good crop of vegetables is very, very rewarding."

Joyce and Sam enjoyed their time traveling the southern part of the U.S. with good friends and meeting new people. It was so much fun for them to experiences these new adventures and laughing daily.

Joyce absolutely loved spending time with her grandchildren and having them at the family farm. Some of her favorite memories were having her children and grandchildren come to the farm and watch them play as 'country kids'. She was so proud of all her children and grandchildren for their achievements but, was most proud of their kindness, character, and values.

Joyce is preceded in death by her husband, Sam Sylvester and survived by her son, Rock Sylvester and his wife Sue from Highland Village, Texas, and has two children, a son, Rocky and daughter, Skylyn. Shawn and Tammy Sylvester, from Brookfield, Conn., and has two sons, Brayden and Aston. Tara Sylvester, Billings, Mont., and has two daughters, Addison and Bella Eve.

Joyce wanted to pass on to her grandchildren her favorite family custom: "With all the activities children have now a days it's hard to have those family times. So, I am hoping when you have a family, you'll be able to do things as a family. As the saying goes, 'the family that plays together, stays together'...actually, I think it is supposed to be a 'family that prays together' both are good."