Joyce Decheney

Although the way before her was not without times of trial, Joyce DeCheney was a gracious woman with a quiet strength and an unwavering faith that carried her along her entire lifes journey. She lived an active lifestyle and was very outgoing and social with numerous friends throughout her life. Joyce was blessed to spend much of her life with her true love with whom she welcomed the children who later expanded her family tree to include numerous branches of precious loved ones she adored. One of the things people will remember about her most was her generous spirit as she could be generous to a fault at times, continually thinking of others ahead of herself. Life will never be the same without Joyce here, but her memory will be cherished by her loved ones for years to come. The 1920s were a vibrant decade filled with great prosperity, however, the decade of the 1930s was a much different story as the entire time period was cloaked in the hardship of the Great Depression. Jobs were scarce, the unemployment rate soared, and despite new government policies relief did not come until the nation became involved in WWII during the 1940s. Amidst this challenging time was the year 1933 that was filled with great celebration for Cornelia Holmes as she was blessed with the birth of a healthy baby girl on September 17th in Muskegon, Michigan. Joyce Roleen was joined in her family by her older sister, Virginia, and when Harry Murphy became her father as a young girl three younger half-brothers came along including Robert, Thomas, and Larry. Raised in the family home on Ninth Street in Muskegon Heights, Joyce experienced an upbringing was filled with many of the experiences that the youth of her generation had in common. Her father worked at the paper mill in Muskegon while her mother was a busy homemaker. Joyce enjoyed things like roller skating and attended Muskegon Heights Schools. As a teen she waited tables in her grandmothers restaurant and also learned the ins and outs of cooking. New and exciting changes were in store for Joyce when she met the young man of her dreams as a teenager. His name was Fredrick Fritz DeCheney, and they met in a rather unusual way as he and his buddies tried to take over the baseball field where she and some girlfriends were playing. Not afraid to hold her own, Joyce hit Fritz with the bat! Those sparks later grew into a dating relationship, and the couple soon found themselves deeply in love. With a desire to spend the rest of their lives together Joyce and Fritz were united in marriage on October 28, 1950. As a young newlywed he was drafted into the Army and served during the Korean Conflict, but he came home to visit while on leave whenever he could. During their first three years of marriage Joyce and her husband were blessed with the births of three children, David, Brenda, and Fred Jr. Fritz was thrilled to return to his family after his two years of service were fulfilled. Three additional children later joined their family including James in 1956, Mark Tony in 1962, and Cheryl in 1969. The young family moved around quite a bit, and at times Joyce waited tables to make ends meet. They eventually settled into a house on Kooi on the East side of Muskegon where Joyce would live for the 46 years that followed until her death. The DeCheney family was faithful Catholics who regularly attended Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Muskegon Heights and then later, St. Thomas Catholic Church. Joyce saw to it that the kids went through catechism class as well. Her family appreciated that she was a great cook as her children loved everything she made, especially her pigs in a blanket and her Texas hash. Once her children were a bit older, Joyce went to work at Michigan Plastics for a short time and then worked as a nurses aide at White Ledge Nursing Home and Shorehaven Nursing Home. Eventually she secured a job as a health aid at the Muskegon Regional Center where she worked for 16 years until the facility closed. Throughout her life Joyce was one who liked to be busy. She and Fritz were members of the Muskegon Heights Eagles and enjoyed spending time there with friends. Joyce also regularly played cards with a group of friends. For several years she was an avid bowler who played on various womens leagues as well as on co-ed leagues with Fritz. At times the couple enjoyed trips out of town for bowling tournaments. A woman of faith, Joyce was a communicant of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. As her family and friends can attest, she was one of the most generous people around as she lived to help others. As the years went by, several of Joyces children lived with her at times when they dealing with the various ups and downs that came their way. It has even been said that she was giving to a fault as she sometimes gave of her resources when she really didnt have the means to do so. In 1988 Joyce was deeply saddened with the death of her beloved Fritz. She still fully embraced life, maintaing her lifestyle in many ways. She continued to regularly attend church at St. Thomas, usually the Saturday night services during more recent years. Joyce looked forward to weekly dinners with her friends at the Cozy Corners Restaurant and enjoyed the companionship of her dogs throughout her life, especially during her sunset years. The past 10 years were also filled with great sadness as Joyce mourned the loss of four of her children due to cancer and other causes. Joyce also suffered her own health issues in dealing with her breathing about five years ago as she developed COPD and needed to be on oxygen. This eventually affected her lifestyle, and she needed to slow down. As she needed more care, her son, Tony, and his wife moved in with her to provide her with what she needed. A blessing to those around her in every way, Joyce DeCheney was a woman who was truly beautiful on the inside and out. Never one to concern herself with what she had, she found that true happiness was found in what she gave to those around her. Joyce will be deeply missed and forever remembered. Joyce R. DeCheney died on Tuesday, May 6, 2014, at home. Joyces family includes her sons, David (Michele) DeCheney of Sonora CA, Mark "Tony" (Pamela) DeCheney of Muskegon; 19 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; sister, Virginia Winegarden of TX; brothers, Robert (Vickie) Murphy of Muskegon, Thomas (Diane) Murphy of Muskegon, Larry (Theresa) Murphy; several nieces and nephews. Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, Fredrick Sr. in 1988; sons, Fredrick DeCheney Jr., James DeCheney; daughters, Brenda Hershey and Cheryl DeCheney. Services will be held on Monday, May 12, 2014, 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church with Fr. Antony Britto officiating. Interment at St. Mary's Cemetery. Visit with Joyces family on Sunday, 2:00-4:00 p.m. with a Rosary Service at 4:00 p.m. at the Clock Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorials can be made to Mercy VNS & Hospice. Please visit www.clockfuneralhome.com to leave a memory or sign the online guest book.