Joy Engelhart

Joy L. Engelhart, 83, of Jackson passed away Sunday, Sept. 10, 2017, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau.

She was born March 26, 1934, in Perry County, Missouri, to Woodrow A. and Hazel Bollinger Statler. She and Joseph C. "Charles" Engelhart were married June 12, 1954, at Pocahontas. Four children were born to their union, and they had been married nearly 57 years when Charles passed away Feb. 8, 2011.

Joy was a graduate of Jackson High School. The Engelharts owned and operated a dairy business on their Missouri Century Farm near Pocahontas. She also worked many years in the insurance industry.

Joy was an active member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Pocahontas, where she previously taught Sunday school and vacation Bible school, sang in the choir, served as a reader, ushered and served on the church council. She was proud to have been the first female communion assistant.

Her other areas of service include former 4-H project leader, teaching clothing and entomology a number of years; member of the former Pocahontas Homemakers and Wonder Workers FCD; Republican Committee Woman for Pocahontas Precinct; Missouri Extension Council; Farm Bureau Board; Show-Me Recreation Leaders; Master Gardener's Club; and the former Sweet Adelines.

Joy was an avid reader of mysteries, non-fiction and cookbooks, and was a collector of recipes. She enjoyed baking pies and bread and was a "crazy cat lady," calling them her "fur children." She took pleasure in gardening and needlework.

Joy and Charles enjoyed traveling, square dancing and polka dancing. She dearly loved her family and always tried to attend their activities. She was a caregiver for her husband for seven years and later became a hospice volunteer.

Loving survivors include two children, Frances Kuntz of Cape Girardeau and Paul (Carol) Engelhart of Jackson; a daughter-in-law, Pat (the late Dirk) Engelhart of Jackson; five grandchildren, Tyler, Katelyn, Alexis, Jeremy and Rachel; a brother, Glenn (the late Karen) Statler of Jackson; sisters-in-law, Judi (the late Gene) Statler of New London, Missouri, and Mary (the late Rudy) Statler of Pace, Florida; several nieces and nephews; and her beloved feline fur child, Charlotte Louise Cat.

In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by two sons, Joe and Dirk Engelhart; a son-in-law, Phil Kuntz; three siblings, Rudy, Gene and Frances Statler; one brother-in-law, Harold (Mary) Engelhart; two sisters-in-law, Karen Statler and Verna (Melvin) Vogel; a nephew, Phillip Statler; and two nieces, Elizabeth Statler and Mary Ann Engelhart.

Visitation will be from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson and from 9:30 a.m. to service time Friday at St. John's Lutheran Church in Pocahontas.

The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the church, with the Rev. Lawrence Bradt officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to St. John's Lutheran Church in Pocahontas or Saxony Lutheran High School.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.