Loretta (Schmidt) Joy

Loretta Schmidt Joy, 96, died Saturday, October 31, at her home in Temple, TX.

Loretta was born May 25, 1919 to Paul and Catherine (Walters) Schmidt in Catharine, KS and grew up in Hays and on a farm north of Hays. She graduated from Girls Catholic High School, Hays, KS in 1936.  On September 5, 1938 she married Derrell Joy in Hays. She and Derrell raised their three sons on a farm north of Hays and lived there for 62 years. In 2000 they moved to The Temple Meridian, in Temple, TX. In 2013, Loretta and her husband celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. She was a member of St Joseph Catholic Church in Hays and St. Luke Catholic Church in Temple.

Survivors include two brothers, Marion and Donald Schmidt, and two sisters, Helen Edmonds and Mary Schmidt; three sons, Ronald and wife Janet of Arlington Heights, IL, Donald and wife Linda of Austin, TX,  Stephen and wife Jo of Temple, TX; eight grandchildren Tracy, Mark, Michael, Lisa, Debbie, Lesli, Todd, and Ashley, and 16 great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by an infant son, Derrell Joseph, her husband, Derrell, her parents, Paul and Catherine, five brothers Edwin, Alexius, Vincent, Cyril, Jerome, and two sisters, Lydia and Cecilia.

Loretta was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. She loved cooking and sewing. Into her nineties, she baked the family’s bread from freshly ground wheat grown on their farm. Daughters-in-law have fond memories of helping in her kitchen baking cinnamon rolls, cutting egg noodles, and trying to learn how to make homemade chocolates. Grandchildren all knew that visits from Grandma Joy included coffee cans full of their favorite cookies. Each of her children and grandchildren have quilts she sewed for them. Loretta also loved to play bridge and pinochle, and she was a beautiful dancer.

Funeral services will be at 11:00 am on Saturday, November 28, 2015 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, 210 W. 13th Street, Hays.  Inurnment will be at 2:00 pm on Saturday at the St. Hyacinth Cemetery, near the intersection of Hyacinth and Buckeye roads.  The family will receive friends from 10:00 am until service time on Saturday at the church. 

Memorials can be made to the Buckeye Extension Club c/o Ellen Schmidt 1464B, Hopewell Rd, Hays, KS 67601 or to a charity of donor’s choice, in care of the Hays Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1906 Pine Street, Hays, KS  67601. Condolences may be left for the family at www.haysmemorial.com.