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Joyce Hill

Kossuth County Advance - Staff Photo - Create Article

 

November 3, 1947 - December 30, 2023

 

Joyce Hill was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She left this world on Dec. 30, 2023, at the age of 76 after a courageous battle with illness.

Joyce was born to Clarence and Wilma Arndorfer on Nov.  3, 1947, in Algona. After graduating from Garrigan High School, Joyce went to college at Mankato State in Minnesota majoring in speech therapy.  She then moved to Des Moines where she had a son, Jarod.  Later, she and Jarod relocated to Omaha where she received her master’s degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha.  She and Jarod then moved to Dallas, Texas where Joyce taught speech therapy in elementary school.

Joyce first met her future husband Max Hill working for the banquet and catering center at Adventureland in Des Moines. She and Max spoke over the phone for two years before they finally met in person. It was love at first sight for Max and after a few years of dating they were married in 1982. They would go on to spend more than 40 wonderful years together, sharing six kids, living in Dallas and Colorado Springs before settling in Austin, Texas.

Nothing was more important to Joyce than family.  She was a devoted wife and mother and she was known for her huge Thanksgiving feasts that would bring together family and friends. Joyce also treasured her memories of Christmases in Iowa – spending time with her parents, siblings, and all her nieces and nephews.

Max introduced Joyce to golfing early in their marriage, and she was hooked from the start. She hit four holes-in-one in her golfing career and even won a few tournaments. After she retired as a speech therapist, she loved playing golf several times a week with her female golfing buddies. She and Max played golf all over the country and they relished going to watch big tournaments like the British Open and the Masters.

Joyce and Max loved traveling to Hawaii and England, along with their fishing adventures in Canada and Alaska. They both had a passion for dining out, and Joyce was particularly fond of Tex-Mex and seafood.  Every year Joyce looked forward to joining her special group of girlfriends, the Party Piggies, in the Texas Hill Country for lively gatherings.

In the last five years, Joyce was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and advanced COPD. Despite all the hardships that her illness threw at her, she never complained about her situation and always maintained a positive outlook on life.

Joyce was kind, generous and loving, with a playful sense of humor. Her strong work ethic and devotion to her loved ones made her the heart and soul of her family.

She is survived by her devoted husband, Max; daughters Kerri (Scott) Hill and Kelli Hill, sons Michael Hill, PJ (Shannon) Hill, Jarod (Karen) Onthank and Jeff (Stefanie) Hill; grandchildren Deidra, Connor, Riley, Ashlyn, Evan, Ryder and Maddox; great-grandchildren Iverson and Mabel; brother Wayne (Shirley) Arndorfer, sisters Mary Hayungs, Connie (Mike) Zodrow, Carolyn Braley, Rachael (Jeff) Travis and LuAnn (Frank) Espinoza; and sister-in-law Dale Arndorfer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Wilma Arndorfer, brothers Kenneth, Randall, Charles and Timothy Arndorfer, and brother-in-law Roger Hayungs.

She will be greatly missed and her memory cherished forever.

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