Joyce Van Hereweghe

1933 - 2024

Edna Joyce Van Hereweghe, beloved wife of Louis Van Hereweghe, passed away in Taber on Monday, February 19, 2024 at the age of 90 years. She is now at peace watching all the curling games with Team Gushue she can handle.

The Funeral Service was held at Southland Funeral Chapel, 5006 - 48 Avenue, Taber on Friday, February 23, 2024 at 2:00 P.M. A private committal service followed at the Taber Memorial Garden.

Besides Louis, her husband of sixty eight years, Joyce leaves to mourn their three children Carol (John) Donahue of Taber and their family Tricia and Jason; Ron (Flori) Van Hereweghe of Romania and his family Stacey, Cody, Travis and their mother Linda and Flori’s daughter Beatrice; Lori (Paul) Martha of Brooks and by six great grandchildren. She is also survived by her brother Dale (Sheryl) Darnell and by numerous nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her parents Lena (née Smith) and Paul Darnell, her siblings and their spouses Herbert (Florence) Darnell, Blanche (Francis) Kenzler, John Darnell, Alyce (Henry) Wooldridge and a sister-in-law Cleone Darnell.

Joyce was born in Drumheller on May 12, 1933. Her parents were farmers and lived on a farm in Leo, Alberta. She had five siblings. As a young girl, she and her brothers and sisters would walk three miles to school. In Joyce’s teen years, she attended grades nine through twelve at a Catholic Covent school in Castor. After completing school, her father happened to know the bank manager in Stettler and he convinced him to hire Joyce as a bank teller where she worked for several years before she married.

Joyce loved to go to the local dance with her friends on the weekends. One night, she met her future husband Louis Van Hereweghe who had a broken leg at the time. As the story goes, she was often quoted as saying there was just something different about him that she liked, he was funny. Joyce and Louis fell in love and they were married on December 17, 1955, the coldest day of that winter.

For the first few years they were married, Louis worked on the rigs. Louis and Joyce moved thirty six times (as the rig moved) in six years, before settling in Taber to raise their family. They could fit all their belongings in their vehicle and a small trailer every time they moved.

When Joyce wasn’t kept busy looking for Louis’ cowboy boots, which were often left somewhere after a night of bon-spieling or socializing, she enjoyed numerous hobbies. Joyce enjoyed reading, gardening, crocheting and making quilts. The most favourite times in her life were playing golf with her friends, Faye and Ethel. Joyce was a card player as well and loved playing crib, solitaire or any other game she could find a partner for. She loved to travel and Las Vegas was one of her favourite destinations. Louis and Joyce also loved camping at the Lost Lemon Campground in Blairmore. They had many fun times with the grandkids and their family while fishing, golfing, playing horseshoes and roasting marshmallows. She was a loving and giving person and an amazing cook. Joyce will be sadly missed by her family.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes in Joyce’s name may be made directly to the charity of one’s personal choice.