Joyce Balstad

Joyce Balstad, age 80, of McIntosh, MN, passed away on Sunday, July 18th, at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 24th, at Calvary Lutheran Church in Winger, MN with the Rev. Gordon Syverson officiating. Interment will be in New Sweden Cemetery, rural McIntosh. Family will greet friends for one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the church. Arrangements are with Carlin Family Funeral Service, serving McIntosh and messages of condolence may be shared at www.carlinfuneral.com.

Joyce Carol Hegland Balstad was born on December 20, 1940, in Minot, North Dakota to parents George and Ellen (Johnson) Hegland. She lived in Van Hook, North Dakota until moving with her family to Minneapolis in 1945. The family moved to McIntosh, Minnesota in 1954 and Joyce graduated from McIntosh High School in 1958.

Following high school, Joyce attended Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota where she went on to receive a degree in Elementary Education. After graduation, she taught for a year at the Erskine school.

She was married to Floyd Balstad on August 4, 1962, and they had three sons, David, Paul, and Dale. She remained home to care for her growing family until 1991 when she returned to work outside the home by starting a job at the Shooting Star Casino. She had a natural knack for dealing Blackjack and was known to be hard to beat at the Blackjack table. Joyce retired in 2013.

Joyce loved all animals but had a special, and life-long, love of horses. She loved gardening and flowers (especially peonies and roses). She also was very artistic; she liked rosemaling, knitting, refinishing furniture, and especially enjoyed painting on canvas. Joyce enjoyed watching her sons’ and her grandsons’ sporting events. Joyce loved being a mom, grandma, and great grandma and enjoyed family gatherings of all kinds, especially the holidays.  She had many friends that she would get together with for coffee, lunch, or a little shopping.

Joyce will be remembered as very patient and a likeable person. Because of these beautiful traits, she had the gift of being able to develop friendships with people of all ages. She will be dearly missed by her family and many friends.

Survivors include her three sons, David (Shawnn) of Fertile, MN, Paul of Grand Forks, ND, and Dale of Winger, MN; six grandchildren, Justin, Daulton, Travis, Sarah (fiancé, Joe Gasperlin), Grant, and Everett; and one great granddaughter, Danica Gasperlin. Also surviving is her sister, Karen (Richard) Hagen of Minnetonka, MN; and nephews, Mark (Deana) Hagen and Daniel (Jan) Hagen.

She was preceded in death by her parents.