Joyce G. Kruse, age 78, died unexpectedly on Saturday, November 29, 2008, at her home in Brookings, South Dakota.  Funeral services will be 2:00 P.M. Friday, December 5, 2008, at First Lutheran Church in Brookings, with interment in Greenwood Cemetery.  Visitations will be from 4-7 P.M. Thursday at Eidsness Funeral Home in Brookings.

Joyce Gay (Carr) Kruse was born February 8, 1930 at Volga, SD to Charlie Fletcher & Margaret Emaroy (Reeves) Carr. She attended school at Volga and very proudly received her G.E.D. in 1988. On March 5, 1947, she married Gordon F. Kruse at Volga. They lived at Volga and Aurora before settling at Brookings, where they built a new home in 1963. Gordon died November 27, 1986.

Joyce worked for Council Oaks, National Tea, Spies Super Value for most of her working life, Coast to Coast until her retirement and part-time at the Exchange Pawn Shop after that.

Joyce was a member of First Lutheran Church where she had been active in Circle and the Friends Caring and Sharing group. She was involved with Habitat for Humanity and enjoyed crocheting and collecting elephants. She also enjoyed many summers with her family at their cabin at Lake Poinsett.

Survivors include her four children: Gordon "Butch" (special friend Darlene) Kruse of Watertown, South Dakota, Linda (Steven) Brown of Howard, South Dakota, Kathy (Randy) Thompson of Estelline, South Dakota, and Pam (Paul) Sowell of Brookings; eight grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; a great-great-granddaughter; a sister, Karen Jorgenson of Sioux Falls; a brother, Charles (Betty) Carr of Concord, California; a special friend, Merwyn Hendricks of Brookings; many aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, a grandson and a sister.