Cloudy, 30° F
(June 19, 1928 - Jan. 6, 2017)
Joyce Shelby died peacefully after a long illness on Jan. 6, 2017, in Bozeman, Montana, surrounded by her loving family, daughter Jane, two granddaughters, their partners and three great-grandchildren. She was 88.
The granddaughter of an original Shoshone Project homesteader, Joyce was born June 19, 1928, in Powell to Thelma (Rimbey) Churchill and Frederick Churchill. She spent her childhood years on the farm and graduated from Powell High School in 1946.
She married Samuel Grantham Shelby on Oct. 12, 1946. The Shelbys raised their five children in Powell, Cody and Salt Lake, where Sam was in the printing industry, but came back to the Wyoming they both loved to retire.
Her husband died just a few months before their 60th wedding anniversary.
In later years Joyce lived with daughter Jane in Montana, and then lived in Seattle with her daughter Jean and her family. Just last fall she moved back to Bozeman to be with daughter Jane and her family.
Joyce’s heart was in the mountains of Wyoming, and later Montana, and enjoyed the many days she and her family spent hunting artifacts and fossils, and camping. She was an avid reader and enjoyed crossword puzzles. Joyce completely spoiled her dog, Charley, and maintained a positive, cheerful attitude even though her health began to fail. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were special people in her life.
She was preceded in death by her husband in 2006, and her sons Frank and Sam Robert.
Joyce is survived by her brother Winston Churchill (Beryl) in Powell; daughter Jean Hales (Arne) in Edmonds, Washington; daughter Jane Shelby in Eagle River, Alaska and in Bozeman, Montana; and son John in St. John, Washington; and 13 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and three nephews.
Cremation has taken place and family services will be held in the Wyoming mountains she loved sometime in the summer.
Condolences can be sent to the Shelby Family, 17700 Timberline Creek Dr., Bozeman, MT 59715.
