Joy Ellen King

Joy Ellen (Gillespie) King passed away at her home in Indianola, Iowa, on December 1, 2025, at the age of 75. Joy was born on June 19, 1950, in Bethany, Missouri, to Clarence Harold Gillespie and Vonciel (Graham) Gillespie. Joy grew up in Stanberry, Missouri, and graduated high school in 1968.

Joy was married in 1970 and purchased a home in Hudson, Iowa, where she raised her family. Over the years, Joy worked for the American Soybean Association, John Deere, and the United States Postal Service, where she worked until her retirement in 2016, but her favorite job was being a mother. Joy relocated to Indianola, Iowa, after retirement to be closer to her family.

Joy had a special fondness for Estes Park, Colorado, and shared her love of Rocky Mountain National Park with her daughters and grandchildren. Before her mobility began to decline, she enjoyed vacationing to Estes Park each year and hiking in RMNP, especially if her grandkids were able to join her. It was in Colorado when her then 18-month-old grandson dubbed her "Doot-Doot," a nickname that she proudly carried for the rest of her life.

Joy loved creating special memories for her children, many of those centering around Christmas. She loved creating traditions for her girls that have now been passed down to her grandchildren, such as mandatory Santa photos each year and the beloved Seven Days of Christmas tradition. Joy was well known among her coworkers at the post office for her clever t-shirts she wore to work daily; she probably could have worn a different one each day of the month! Joy had a unique sense of humor and loved to make people smile. She always said she was proud that her daughters shared her sense of humor, and her granddaughter also inherited Joy's sharp sense of humor, perhaps in part because they shared the name Joy. And that is what she brought to her family and friends-joy-in the many stories she recalled from her youth, the clever jokes she posted to Facebook, the traditions she created for her children, and the moments with her grandkids that she held so dear.

Left to cherish Joy's memory are her daughters, Elicia Ropte of Urbandale, Iowa, and Heather King of Winterset, Iowa; sister, Donna Newman of Maryville, Missouri; brother, Roger (Laura) Gillespie of St. Joseph, Missouri; and grandchildren, Benjamin Lance Ropte and Catherine Joy Ropte. Joy was preceded in death by her parents, Harold and Vonciel, and her brother-in-law, Bobby Newman.

A memorial service will be held at 2:30 PM on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Roberson Funeral Home, 601 N. Alanthus, Stanberry, MO 64489. A visitation will be from 1:00 – 2:30 PM prior to the service at the funeral home. Inurnment will follow in the High Ridge Cemetery in Stanberry, MO. Online condolences can be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.