Joyce Marie Nelson

Joyce Marie Nelson, 88, of Little Falls passed away at her home surrounded by family on October 17, 2023. Mass of Christian burial will take place at 11 am on Friday, October 20, 2023 at St. James Catholic Church in Randall with Father Ben Kociemba. A visitation will take place from 5-7pm on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at the Brenny Family Funeral Chapel in Randall, Mn, and one hour prior to the services at St. James on Friday.

Joyce was born on June 5, 1935, to Joseph and Agnes ​(Jazdzewski) Prozinski of Little Falls. She was the thirteenth of fifteen children. Joyce grew up on Green Prairie Fish Lake and graduated from Little Falls Community High School in 1951. After graduating high school, she completed teacher’s training and taught at a one-room school house. Joyce married Dennis Nelson of Randall on August 25th, 1956, at St. James Catholic Church​, Randall.

Joyce and Dennis had three children, Constance Hoof (Allan), Kristin Marko (Larry) and Norma Joan Nelson-Vetsch (Mike). She lived in Duluth, Minnesota with her family and earned a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She was the head of the secretarial department at the Duluth Area Vocational Technical Institute (now Lake Superior College). She retired in 1993 and returned to the lake. Joyce enjoyed gardening, fishing, canning, watching birds, reading, playing cards, and spending time with family.

She was preceded in death by her husband Dennis, her parents, and eleven siblings.

She is survived by her three daughters and spouses, fifteen grandchildren, Krisandra Mielke (Nicholas), Daniel Marko (Beth), Elizabeth Marko, Barbara Schafer (Jason), Marcus Hoof (Therese), Sarah Nelson, Johanna Marko-Berg (Erick), Jennifer Hoof (Nick), Nicholas Hoof, Melanie Grote (Sean), Emma Hoskins (Mason), Kathryn Marko, Joseph Marko, Michael Vetsch, Julia Vetsch and eleven great-grandchildren, Carter, Evan, Lane, Allison (Mielke), Norah, Will, George, Etta, (Marko) Walter, Ellie, Maggie (Schafer), three siblings Claude Prozinski, Kathleen Mahling, Anita Scully.

Joyce will be dearly missed by all who knew her.