Joy Rockstad, 92, of Williston, passed away early morning November 26, 2017 at Bethel Lutheran Home. At Joy’s request cremation will take place. Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home in Williston has been entrusted to assist with arrangements.

Joy Gertrude (Snydal) Rockstad was born November 13, 1925 to Sigurd and Bertha (Rasmussen) Snydal at Trinity Hospital in Minot, ND. They lived in Minot until 1941 when Joy was a junior in high school. She completed her education at Williston Senior High school and worked for the Williams County Treasurer and ushered at the Grand Theater.

When Joy graduated, she took a job at the Foss Lumber Company which was later sold to Farmers Union Lumber. She worked as the secretary/bookkeeper and it was there that she met and later married the love of her life, Norman Rockstad.

She became Mrs. Joy Rockstad on March 2, 1946 and she and Norman farmed and raised three of their four children with no running water and they didn’t have electricity until 1949. In 1958, two years after their third child was born they moved into a new house and now felt they could have one more child.

Joy was not just a stay at home mother, in addition to making the best fried chicken, donuts and Fattigmund around, she taught piano to local children for two years, drove school bus for 16 years, accompanied numerous Christmas plays for school and Sunday school, taught Sunday school for 18 years, was an organist for 35 years for St. Lukes and West Prairie, and was involved in Junior Farmers Union. When her youngest child started school, she helped the farm financially by getting a job at KUMV-TV as a secretary and Noon News host for 5 years. She finished her working career in 1991 after 16 years at Williston Job Service.

With Norman, Joy also sang duets for weddings, funerals, Farmers Union Meetings, Political Rallies and Credit Union functions. Joy even wrote a song for Governor Guy to the tune of “My Guy”. She and Norman filled the house and car with music and passed their love of music to their children.

After Norman passed away in 1996, Joy volunteered at the Kensington Assisted Living for a short time and then for ten years at Mercy Hospital until health reasons prevented her from continuing.

She is preceded in death by her parents; sisters Bev Coldren, Arlene Backen, Pat Vuciek and Shirley Thorness; brothers, Richard and Arthur Snydal; husband, Norman Rockstad; sons, Johan, David Rockstad and daughter Rebecca Joy.

She is survived by her one brother, Larry Snydal; daughter, Kayleen Campbell; daughter’s-in-law Juanita Rockstad and Jeanene Rockstad; grandchildren, Jake Johnson, Sarah and Robert Campbell, Kristina, Timothy and Jonathan Rockstad and one great granddaughter Rebecca Joy Campbell.