Joyce Elaine Buschert

Joyce Elaine (Stutzman) Buschert was born August 12, 1930. She entered life eternal on May 2, 2025, at the age of 94 years, 8 months and 20 days.

Joyce spent the earlier part of her life with her parents, Esther (Eicher) and Earl Stutzman and her four siblings, Lawrence, Verba, Pauline and Cloy, growing up on a farm in rural Milford, Nebraska. She considered her farm upbringing a valuable part of her lifelong education. She appreciated the practical homemaking skills her mother taught her, and the value of hard work and perseverance from her father. She knew life’s demands were sometimes great and chose to take a year off from high school to help care for a newborn sibling. She graduated from Milford High School in 1948.

From there she was motivated to study at Hesston College in Hesston Kansas. It was there she met David Buschert. They were married on December 28, 1954. To this union were born two daughters, Beth and Jill.

Soon after their marriage Joyce and David spent a short time in David’s community in Kitchener, Ontario. Here, Joyce studied at Galt Business College. Her training there served her well, doing clerical work in various offices during her years of employment. Over the years they lived in Goshen and Fort Wayne, Indiana; Columbus and Toledo, Ohio; South Bend and then again Goshen, Indiana.

Their final move to Goshen found them at home in the Greencroft retirement community. She soon became involved as a volunteer and attended a wealth of Life-Long Learning seminars. She leaned heavily on musical events at Goshen College Music Center to enrich and entertain herself during her retirement years.

Joyce enjoyed planning family vacations and events. A highlight of travel was visiting her sister and family in Bangkok, Thailand. She also enjoyed keeping financial and historical records for her family. One of her many accomplishments was writing and assembling photos for her memoir entitled “My Life’s Journey”.

Joyce contributed as generously as possible to Mennonite churches and schools and to a variety of charities. She especially loved giving to Mennonite Central Committee which she believed was working toward a more peaceful world, free of disease, war, and hunger.

Joyce cared deeply for her immediate and extended family and her many friends. She is survived by her two daughters, Beth (Mark) Hooley and Jill (Conrad) Lehman; granddaughter Nadia (German Otero) Zaid; two great granddaughters, Avril and Isabella Otero Zaid; brother Cloy (Linda) Stutzman; and sister Pauline (Harlan) Hochstetler. Later in life she enjoyed the addition of step-grandchildren Dan (Natalie) Hooley, Doug Hooley, Mandi (Lane) Kaufmann, Kyle Spencer, Diana Lehman, and Zach Lehman; and step-great grandchildren James and Robert Hooley, and Emri and Avett Kaufmann.

She was preceded in death by her husband, David Buschert; parents, Esther (Eicher) and Earl Stutzman; brother, Lawrence (Ruby) Stutzman; sister, Verba (Lyle) Wilson.

A memorial service will be held honoring her life on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Indiana. Visitation will precede the service from 2:00-4:30 p.m. at the same location. Joyce’s name, along with her husband’s, are inscribed in the Greencroft Memorial Garden. Her ashes will be interred at Olive Cemetery at a later date in a private burial. She will be missed by those who knew and loved her.

Memorial gifts may be given to Mennonite Central Committee or to College Mennonite Church.