Joyce Elaine Yoder

1951 - 2025

Joyce Elaine (Shoemaker) Yoder, 74, of Angola, Indiana, died peacefully on March 13, 2025, from complications of a virus. She was born in Freeport, Illinois, Feb. 26, 1951, to Donald and Ila June (Litwiller) Shoemaker.

Joyce was married on Aug. 3, 1974, to John E. Yoder, who survives. She is survived by her sons and their families: John C. (Valerie) Yoder, Henry and Lucy of Indianapolis, Indiana, and Nick (Jessica) Yoder, Finley and Victoria of Portland, Oregon. She is also survived by her sister, Nelda (Bill) Wittig of Coralville, Iowa; and many nieces and nephews.

After her graduation from Dakota High School, Dakota, Illinois, Joyce became a student at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music in 1973. Later, she earned a Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, in 1979.

Joyce was blessed with a beautiful soprano voice and was an accomplished pianist. After college, she taught music and directed musicals at Eastside High School in Butler, Indiana. Her passion for books and reading led to her second profession. At Tri-State (now Trine) University, she was a reference librarian and later, a reference librarian at the Williams County Public Library in Bryan, Ohio. She then became librarian at Stryker Local Schools in Stryker, Ohio, where she served for seven years. Later in her career, Joyce returned to the Williams County Public Library and became a knowledgeable, well-known authority on the history of the area.

Joyce and John raised their family in Bryan, Ohio, where they lived between 1973 and 2012. Joyce became involved in Bryan's arts and intellectual programs. She was a member and officer of the town's Literary Forum. As a member of the Williams County YWCA, she helped to sponsor concerts performed by the Toledo Symphony for school-age children and for evening performances. Joyce and John were members at Zion Mennonite Church (Archbold, Ohio) where they were singers in the church choir. They were also members of Madrigal choir group in Bryan. For several years during the Christmas season, Joyce established and operated Fireside Books, part of the Christmas Manor gift shop. "Forever" friendships were formed among the women in the Tuesdays with Books club that continued for 20 years.

Upon retirement, Joyce and John moved to Lake Gage near Angola, Indiana, in 2012. Joyce enjoyed meeting new people and making friends around Lake Gage and Angola. She and John enjoyed worshiping within the welcoming environment at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, where they were singers in its choir. Joyce became a member at the Frances Elliott Clark Music Club, where she learned to know and performed with other music majors, piano teachers and musical instrument aficionados.

A visitation will be held on May 3, 2025, at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana, from 9 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. A memorial service will follow at 11 a.m. A light lunch will be served at noon in the fellowship hall followed by a time of informal reminiscing.