Services for Joyce Elizabeth Lindgren

Joyce Elizabeth Lindgren, age 81, died on Friday May 20, 2016 at home under hospice care in Minneapolis, MN. She was born in 1934, in Mason City, Iowa to Earle & Myrtle (Nelson) Larson.  She was baptized at Salem Lutheran in Lake Mills, IA and confirmed at Calvary Lutheran in Golden Valley, MN.  Joyce graduated from Robbinsdale High School in 1953, attended Concordia College, Lutheran Deaconess Hospital Nursing School and became a Registered Nurse in 1957. Later in life, Joyce attended the University of MN, graduating with a Masters Degree in Public Health Nursing. She also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Family Handicap Counseling.

On June 8, 1957, Joyce married Arnold Lindgren (of Clearbrook, MN) at Elim Lutheran Church in Robbinsdale, MN.  They made their home in Rock Island, IL; Grand Rapids, MI, Underwood, ND; Pelican Rapids, MN; Olivia, MN; Minneapolis, MN and Fergus Falls, MN.  They are the proud parents of 12 children.

Her hobbies included reading, traveling and writing.  She loved music, pets and volunteering her time and talents. Joyce was surrounded by children all of her life; her personal and professional passion was related to caring for children.  She and her husband were foster parents to more than 200 children over her lifetime.  Aside from her nursing career, she worked at PACER, Children’s Home Society and was a foster parent for emergency crisis and medically fragile infants. 

Her family includes her husband, Arnold; and children: Rand (Donna) Lindgren, of Ridgely, MD; Kirby (Diane) Lindgren of Crystal Lake, IL; Sandra Lindgren of Minneapolis; Miguel (Monica) Lindgren of St. Paul; Chris (Shelley) Lindgren of Chaska; Jackie (John) Krech of Minneapolis; Nancy Lindgren of Plymouth; Michael (Amy) Lindgren of Apple Valley; Orlando Lindgren of St. Peter; Sue (Scott) Minder of Minneapolis and Nicole Lindgren of Minneapolis; 14 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, her dog Annie as well as a host of friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her daughter, Brenda Sue Lindgren at age 18.

A memorial service will be held on Thursday May 26, 2016 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church: 4100 Lyndale Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55409. Visitation at 12:00 pm; service at 1:00 pm followed by a luncheon where people are invited to share stories about Joyce.  An interment ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm on Sunday, May 29 at Oak Park Cemetery, Weme, MN.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent in her name to:  Children’s Home Society (chlss.org), Kidney Cancer Research at the University of Minnesota (https://www.mhealth.org/care/conditions/kidney-cancer-adult), or Fairview Hospice (http://www.fairview.org/Services/HomeCareHospice/Hospice/).