Joy Evonne Ellingson Kaltenheuser, age 91, formerly of Lusk and Torrington, Wyoming, died November 29, 2024, in Rochester, Minnesota. The public is invited to a celebration of life for Joy on Saturday, December 7th, at the Congregational Church at 2:00 p.m. in Lusk, Wyoming.

Joy was born September 23, 1933, in McCallsburg, Iowa, and graduated from McCallsburg Schools as Salutatorian of her class.  She married Frank Kaltenheuser on May 18, 1951 in McCallsburg, Iowa.

Joy loved painting landscapes, rosemaling, quilting, and reading in her spare time.  Joy was part of two different PEO groups in Wyoming.  Church member.  She sang for many funerals in the Lusk, Wyoming area.  Joy always helped on the farm in Iowa.  Driving tractors, pulling anhydrous ammonia tanks, plowing fields, and always feeding the dozen plus hired men dinner and lunches in the afternoon.  In Wyoming, Joy was always there either in a pickup or 4-wheeler when rounding up cattle, branding, vaccinating, feeding, and scooping snow out of feed bunks so that they could feed cattle, checking fences and windmills when there were cattle out on grass.  Joy enjoyed making and teaching others how to make her Scandinavian favorites Kringle, Kumla, Lefse, and Krumkake as well.  She will be deeply missed by her family and all her friends.

Joy had four children: Greg Kaltenheuser & partner Susan Lary of Iowa City, IA – Greg's child Brooke Kaltenheuser of Bertha, MN

Craighton Kaltenheuser died March of 1983, surviving wife Elizabeth Kaltenheuser of Casper, Wyoming – children – Travis (Calley) Kaltenheuser of Casper, Wyoming and Kate (Darek) Farmer of Gainesville, FL

.Charmayne Cochran of Rochester, MN – Shawn (Shawn Marie) Cochran of Dodge Center, MN

Bradley (Nancy) Kaltenheuser of Ames, IA – Adam (Lynnette) Rasmussen of Gilbert, AZ and Leigh Anne Kaltenheuser of Gilbert, AZ

Great Grandchildren – Brynja and Leighton Cochran, Drake and Craighton Farmer, Peyton and Harlan Kaltenheuser, Annika Gallegos, Kirsten, Lesia, and Calissa Rasumussen.

One Great Great grandchild Aiyva Gallegos.

She was preceded in death by an infant sister, Ione Dorothy Ellingson, her dad, Lloyd Ellingson, her mother, Clara Helland Ellingson, her son Craighton Kaltenheuser, sister Marge Ellingson Thompson, sister Clarine Ellingson Barker, and husband Frank Kaltenheuser.

A Celebration of Life will be at the Salem Lutheran Church in Roland, IA on Saturday, December 14th from 1-3p.

A family private burial will take place at the Lusk Cemetery.

Memorials can be made to the Niobrara County Library Foundation, PO Box 510, Lusk, Wyoming, 82225.