Joyous May Ramsey

Joyous May Ramsey WEST BRANCH, Iowa--Joyous May Ramsey, 86, passed away on Saturday, March 31, 2012, at Hillcrest Health Care Services in Hawarden. Funeral Service will be 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 5, 2012, at the Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Branch. Burial will take place in West Branch Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established. Joyous was born on May 20, 1925, in the Iowa City area, the daughter of Oliver and Mildred Hartsock Keefer. She was united in marriage to William Ramsey on February 6, 1949, in Kirksville, Missouri. She worked at the armory in Davenport during World War II making bombs for our aircraft's, and welding landing docks for our troops. Then she went into a different type of work, she was a waitress up until retirement working with Big Bell & Little Bell of Davenport IA, from there to Iowa City with Riverside Inn, then onto K-Mart where she retired. Following her retirement she worked at the University of Iowa at the sports department in the Quad Rangle for over 14 years where she took care of the athletes meals. Then she retired and enjoyed, a...[more]

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her grandchildren, She belonged to two Card clubs in West Branch. Also enjoyed going to Casinos, reading Perry Mason Novels, doing cross word puzzles, and word searches. She was a very special mother. Survivors include daughters, Misty Dawn "Violette" Brown-Visil and husband, Bill Visil, of California and grandchildren: Angel, Kenny and Shelly; daughter Merry Landenberger and husband, Lee, of Hawarden, and grandchildren: Roxsi Topete and Alan Mace and wife, Julie, all of Hawarden; a son, Willie Ramsey and wife, Gisela, of Salem, Wisconsin, and grandchildren: Lawrence, Joseph and Jacqueline; a brother, Bob Keefer and wife, Edna, of Casa Grande, Arizona, sisters, Margaret Goodnow of Iowa City, and Norma Vickeroy and husband, Dave, of Iowa City. Also surviving are 15 great grandchildren and four great great-grandchildren with one on the way. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Lyle and Burton Keefer; a sister, Betty Jones; and brothers-in-law, Vernon L Ramsey and Ralph Goodnow.