Joyce Paulson Staples, 94, was peacefully taken to heaven Dec. 8, 2011, in Greenville, S.C., in the home she had shared with her daughter and son-in-law, Beth (Staples) and Warren French, since she left Austin in 2002.

Daughter of Matilda (Jensen) Paulson and William G Paulson, she grew up on their family farm in Blooming Prairie, Minn., where she was born on June 23, 1917. She was a graduate of Blooming Prairie High School and continued her education at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

In November of 1947 she was united in marriage to Warren A Staples, and the couple made their home in Austin where their three children were born and reared. Following Warren’s death in April, 1978, Joyce spent her next 24 years in Austin — continuing to garden, sew and volunteer at First Baptist Church, Grace Baptist Church and Burr Oak Manor. She was a woman of faith. She loved children, and throughout her life she devoted her teaching skills to Sunday school, VBS and Child Evangelism clubs. She also had a heart for missions expressed by the hundreds of clothing items she created for children around the world with her home sewing machine. For more than 25 years she was a Border Missions volunteer while wintering in McAllen, Texas.

She is greatly missed by her children: Beth (Warren) French of Greenville, S.C., Nancy Anderson of West Chester, Ohio, Gary (Diane) Staples of New Berlin, Wis; grandchildren: Nicole R. French of San Antonio, Texas, Warren (Claudia) French, Jr. of Cynthiana, Ky., Adam (Melissa) French of Reading, Pa., Trisha Hosch of New Berlin, Wis., Tyler (Abby) Anderson of Chicago, Brett (Emily)Anderson of Winston-Salem, N.C.;great-granddaughters: Arwen E and Leia E French of Cynthiana, Maddie G. French of Reading, Pa.

Joyce was preceded in death by her two siblings: Victoria (Lightly) Lee and Wilford G Paulson.

A memorial Service in celebration of her life will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 18, at Grace Baptist Church in Austin, Minn., with Pastor Brett Williams and Pastor Warren French Jr. officiating. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until service time in the church parlor. Memorials are preferred to missionaries Jim and Julie [Hansen]Leonard, Brazil; and Steve and Sarah [Lightly] Caton, England, both nieces of the deceased, in care of Grace Baptist Church, 100 Fourth Ave. SE, Austin, 55912.