Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
A memorial service for Joyce M. Richter was held Saturday, March 4, 2023, at the Hartley Funeral Home Chapel in Hartley. Pastor Lynn Dau officiated.
Honorary pallbearers were Megan Schuld, Austin Richter, Cory Richter, Chance Richter, Spencer Richter, Samantha Richter, Zachary Richter, Kaci Richter, Chris Wise, Aaron Jansen, Wyatt Richter, Paytin Richter, Brooklyn Schuld and Alivia Schuld. Interment will be at a later date at Pleasant View Cemetery in Hartley. Hartley Funeral Home assisted with the arrangements.
Joyce Marie Richter, daughter of Louie and Vera (Dagel) Petersen, was born Jan. 31, 1944 in Spirit Lake. She spent her youth in the Ocheyedan and Sibley areas along with her sister, Elnora, and brothers, Bobbie and Leslie.
Joyce was united in marriage to Merlyn Edwin Richter on Sunday, Oct. 4, 1964, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Sheldon. Throughout their life together, Joyce and Merlyn lived in the Iowa communities of Cherokee, Germantown, Sutherland, Granville and Hartley. During that time they raised three sons: Kevin, Gary and Brian. Joyce always considered her role as a stay-at-home-mom more of a “life-long vacation.” She enjoyed keeping up with her boys’ school events, making sure they had clean jeans to wear and something good to eat at the end of the day.
Social time usually involved playing cards with friends, whether it was 500 or pinochle. She was a member of several card clubs as well as St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hartley.
Joyce passed away on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, at the age of 79 years. She now joins loved ones who have gone before: her husband, Merlyn (in 2012); parents, Louie and Vera Petersen; and brothers: Leslie Petersen and Bobbie Petersen.
Those left to cherish her memory are her sons and families: Kevin and his wife, Janet Richter, of Hospers; Gary and his wife, Nancy Richter, of Hartley; and Brian and his wife, Hope Richter, of Dixon, Ill.; 10 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; one sister, Elnora Bates, of Ocheyedan; other relatives and friends.
