Joy Ann Larson

Joy was born in Des Moines, Iowa at home on January 18, 1932 and lost her biological mother during her birth to uremic poisoning. She was two months old when she was adopted by an Aunt and Uncle, Ray and Mary Townsend from Altoona, Iowa. Joy passed on from this life on January 13, 2015 due to complications of dementia. She was living at Parkridge Nursing and Rehabilitation Center when she passed.

Mom met then later married our father James (Bud) E. Walker on December 30, 1950. They remained in the town of Altoona after Bud served in the Air Force. Bud farmed his father’s land which became his after our grandfather and grandmother’s deaths. Two daughters were born from this union, Pat and Diane. Joy was a homemaker and a wonderful stay-at-home mom up until Diane became a teenager, then she struck out into the working world.

Mom was most recently married to the love of her life George Larson, from Altoona. They met when Mom moved to town across from Altoona Elementary after her “house on the hill” was bought for a new housing development. Mom and George married May 29, 1997. George developed Alzheimer’s and moved May 24, 2008 to South Dakota to live with his son. George passed May 1, 2009.

Mom enjoyed life and loved her flower gardens. She also loved shopping at Younkers and would jump at the chance when offered a shopping trip there! She never had grandchildren, but “adopted” a pair of girls, Megan and Abbey Hale as her grandchildren, that were once her neighbors in Altoona and kept in touch even after she entered an assisted living facility and nursing home.

She was preceded in death by her biological siblings Willie, Wilma, Bob, Ruth and Lucille, and her adopted family, brothers Andy, Bob and Ray. She is survived by her daughters Pat (Milan) Petersen of Tilden, NE and Diane (Steve) McClannahan of Runnells, IA. Also, the “adopted grandchildren’s” father and mother, Jim and Alisa Hale of Bondurant, IA.

Visitation will be held an hour prior to the service. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. and the service will begin at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, January 17, 2014, at Hamilton’s Mitchellville Funeral Home, 303 Center Avenue S, with burial to follow at Mitchellville Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to AHeinz57 Rescue and Transport, DeSoto, Iowa in memory of our mother Joy.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com.

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