Joyce M. Dass

“Get your ducks in a row.”

Joyce Marjo Dass passed away on October 2, 2025, at the age of 85 years and one day. Joyce went home to be with her Lord, reunited with her beloved husband, Arnold “Buzz” Dass.

Joyce was born on October 1, 1940, to Jacob and Mary (Persoon) Bakker in Tyler, MN. She was baptized on October 13, 1940, and confirmed on July 21, 1952, at St. Dionysius Catholic Church in Tyler. Joyce grew up on a farm near Tyler, attending country school through the third grade before graduating from Tyler High School. On October 11, 1958, she married the love of her life, Buzz Dass, at St. Dionysius, and together they built a beautiful life, raising five children and sharing 52 years of marriage until Buzz’s passing in 2011.

In addition to working at Tyler Wholesale from 1965 to 2003, Joyce followed her creative spirit and entrepreneurial drive, opening Wooden Diamond Art in 1982 and Wooden Diamond Bed & Breakfast in 1995. Of all her roles, she most cherished her work as a “Domestic Engineer,” pouring her energy into her family and home.

A woman of deep faith, Joyce was an active member of St. Dionysius Catholic Church as a Catechism Teacher, Eucharistic Minister, and member of the Catholic Council of Women and the Area Faith Pastoral Council. She shared her time generously, visiting shut-ins, serving on the Lincoln County Economic Development Committee, Tyler Regional Economic Development, Tyler Area Community Foundation, Tyler Clown Club, and the Aebleskiver Committee.

In 2016, after selling the Wooden Diamond Bed & Breakfast, Joyce moved to Sioux Falls, SD. In 2020, she relocated to Cary, NC, to be closer to family there and her grandchildren, while remaining deeply connected to loved ones spread across the country. She became an active member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Cary, continuing her devotion to faith and community.

Joyce’s life was defined not just by her work and service, but by her spirit of adventure and joy. She embraced technology wholeheartedly and loved staying connected with her family through texts and calls. She planned “mystery trips” that left her grandkids guessing until the very end, and she even let them take the wheel long before they legally should have. She taught them not only how to drive but how to live boldly. She deeply loved her country, taking pride in her community and the freedoms that shaped her life.

Her hobbies reflected her creativity and zest for living. She loved gardening, knitting, quilting, painting, reading, traveling, cooking, entertaining, and horseback riding. She never missed an opportunity to celebrate life’s milestones, especially birthdays, which she treated as grand occasions.

Her final gift to her grandchildren came on her 85th birthday as a text message that reflected the heart of who she was. It captured her humor, her gratitude, and her love. In it, she reminded them to enjoy each new day, reflected on her good old days, and told them simply: “My day has been special with all your greetings. I love you all so much! Grandma Joyce.”

Joyce’s family will remember her for teaching them to love traditions, to bake and craft with joy, to keep a 5 o’clock cocktail hour, and to sometimes break the rules just to live fully. She wrapped them in quilts, rescued them when needed, supported them at every event, and celebrated every accomplishment. She was their fierce cheerleader, their teacher, their adventurer, and the heart of their family.

Joyce leaves behind a legacy stitched into every life she touched—like her quilts, like her paintings, like her traditions, and like the celebrations she made unforgettable. Her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchild will carry forward her fierce, faithful, and fun love, her determination to make each year better than the last, and her reminder to always “get your ducks in a row.”

Joyce is lovingly remembered by her five children, Jody (Dick) White of Harrisburg, SD, Curtis (Kari) Dass of Tyler, MN, Leann (Todd Ploeger) Dass of Cary, NC, Laron (Haylee) Dass of Wichita, KS, and Danielle (Brian) Brezina of Cary, NC; eleven grandchildren; fourteen great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; and many others blessed to call her Grandma; brother, Jim “Skip” Bakker of Worthington, MN; and four sisters, Linda Guild of Mansfield, OH, Catherine (Mike) Davis of Park Rapids, MN, Bonnie (Dave) Gruis of Harris, IA, and Barb Curtis of Boulder City, NV; sister-in-law, Ellen Bakker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Arnold “Buzz” Dass; parents, Jacob and Mary Bakker; brother, Jerry Bakker and sisters, Jean Van Den Broeke and Yvonne Wartner.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to: Fransciscan Friars of the Renewal