Joyce Cassellius

Mary Joyce Cassellius was born to eternal life on October 23, 2014 at The HealthEast Pillars Hospice Home in Oakdale after a long but graceful journey with frontotemporal dementia. She was 77.

Joyce was born on November 13, 1936 at Ancker Hospital in St. Paul to Mahlon and Helen (Burditt) O'Brien. She was the third of seven children, Diane (who was stillborn), James, Don, William, Colleen and Daniel. Joyce grew up in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul and graduated from St. Joseph's Academy in 1954.

She married Ronald Cassellius on June 23, 1956 in St. Paul. They celebrated more than 58 years of marriage and welcomed seven children, 15 grandchildren, and three great grandchildren; she looked forward to welcoming two more great granddaughters this winter.

Joyce and Ron were members of St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park, where she was very active. They lived on Granada Avenue South in Cottage Grove for 53 years; Joyce was a "second mom" to many of the "Granada gang" of her children's neighborhood friends. Joyce worked at First National Bank for many years and had a knack for numbers. She walked six days a week and loved to read (especially murder mysteries), play solitaire and dominoes, experiment with new recipes and crafts, travel, and garden. Joyce also loved music and was always humming or whistling.

Joyce had a quiet demeanor, strong values, a witty sense of humor, and many creative and practical talents. She enjoyed celebrating life's special occasions with her family and treasured spending time with many lifelong girlfriends.

She is survived by her husband; children, Mark (Cynthia) of Onalaska, Wisconsin; Sharon (Bryan) Kampa of Elk River; Michele "Shelly" of Cottage Grove; Steven (Sally) of Richfield; Martin (Lisa) of Bloomington; Bonnie (Rodger "Rod") Karas of Newport; and Jason (Brenda) of Minneapolis.

Joyce is also survived by her grandchildren: Amanda (Thomas) Dale, and great grandchildren Rachel, Ryan and Julia, of Woodbridge, Virginia; Brescia (Joseph) Berg, and a great granddaughter expected in February, of Des Moines, Iowa; Zachary Kampa of Elk River; Christian Alston, Charles and Ani of Minneapolis; Sadie (Christopher) Adderley, and a great granddaughter expected in February, of New Braunfels, Texas; Samuel, McKenna and Baylea Karas of Newport; Helen, Eva and Elsa of Bloomington; and Francisco and Gina of Richfield.

And she is survived by her siblings James (Geraldine), William (Jane), Colleen (Daniel) Taft, and Daniel (Barbara); sisters-in-law Marilyn Cassellius, Petra O'Brien and Kathleen Baldinelli O'Brien; aunt Bernadette Sherwin; cousin Delores O'Brien; and many nieces and nephews.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents; siblings, Diane and Don; brother-in-law Philip Cassellius; and sister-in-law Beverly Raasch.

A visitation will be held from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday, October 27 at Kok Funeral Home, 1201 Portland Avenue in St. Paul Park, with a prayer service at 7:30 p.m.

A memorial mass will be held at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, October 28 at St. Thomas Aquinas, 920 Holley Avenue in St. Paul Park, with a visitation beginning at 9:45 a.m. Father Tony Andrade will officiate. Interment at the church cemetery will follow mass.

Memorials are preferred to HealthEast Foundation, 1690 University Avenue West, Suite 250, St. Paul, MN 55104 or healtheast.org/foundation; or Red Cloud Indian School, 100 Mission Drive, Pine Ridge, SD 57770 or redcloudschool.org.