Obituary for Leone Joyce Sawyer

Leone Joyce Sawyer, 94, of Melrose passed away September 7th, 2021 at Morrow Home in Sparta, WI. Joyce was born August 15th, 1927 to Carroll and Eunice Sims in North Bend, WI. She married Donald Sawyer of Melrose on March 1st, 1947 at the Melrose United Methodist Church where they remained lifelong members. She and Donald were married for 68 years until his passing in 2015. Donald and Joyce farmed for many years just outside of Melrose, WI. Joyce was a lifelong gardener and avid reader. She also taught knitting and sewing to multiple generations within her family and as a 4H Club Leader for many years. In their early years, Joyce and Donald belonged to a square-dancing club in Melrose, complete with matching outfits that she sewed and years later displayed to her great grandchildren. She loved the cabin, a campfire, and a wiener roast. She was an active snowmobiler, and later, a scooter rider. She was quick with a joke and a smile. She had a legendary candy drawer that was always stocked. Through the years she traveled throughout most of the United States and Canada with Donald. They spent retirement years in Arizona and Texas, where she acquired the turquoise jewelry she loved. She had an active relationship with her great grandchildren and loved to write them quirky poems. She is survived by her brother Larry (Donna) Sims, of Galesville, her two children; a daughter, Teresa (Donald) Nelson, of Melrose, and a son, Tim (Anne) Sawyer, of Melrose. She is also survived by eight grandchildren; Willie Nelson, Kristy (James) Benson, Angela (Iftikhar) Ahmad, Jared (Elizabeth) Nelson, Derrick Nelson, Ryan (Darcy) Sawyer, Jeff Sawyer, and Emily (Alex) Sackmann; and 13 great-grandchildren: Abbigail, Brock, Azmari, Houston, Olivia, Madeline, Jamie, Zalmay, Sophia, Elizabeth, Caroline, Ashlyn, and Natalie; and many loving nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Sawyer, her son, Russell Sawyer, two grandchildren, Jacob Sawyer and Mikhail Sawyer, a great grandson, and six of her seven siblings. A gathering of friends and family will be held from 2-4:30 pm September 11, 2021 , at the Melrose Legion Hall in Melrose. A short program will begin at 3pm. A private burial will follow in the Melrose Cemetery. Donations in Joyce’s name can be made to the Melrose First Responders, the Melrose Fire Department, and the Melrose Community Pool. The family would like to thank the staff at the Morrow Home in Sparta for their care of Joyce during her stay there. Joyce will be once remembered, twice missed.