Joy Heller , 89, Berthold, died on March 28, 2014 in an Apache Junction, AZ hospital.

Joy was born on May 6, 1924 in Hector, MN to Louie and Lydia (Jahnke) Heller. The family moved to the Berthold area when Joy was a child, he attended school in Berthold and graduated from Berthold High School in 1942. Joy served in the U.S. Army during World War II. Following his honorable discharge he returned to the Berthold area.

Joy married Ida Moen on October 21, 1950 in Zion Lutheran Church Berthold. They made their home in Minot and Joy was employed by local farmers, as a heavy equipment operator and mechanic and as a construction worker in the building of Minot Air Force Base. The family moved to Berthold in 1963.

Joy farmed all of his life. Also, he was employed at the Farmers Union and owned and operated Heller's Caf for 20 years. Joy retired in 1980 and Joy and Ida had spent the last 34 winters in Arizona.

Joy was a longtime member of Zion Lutheran Church and the American Legion Post both in Berthold as well as the Eagles Aerie and Moose Lodge both in Minot and the Elks Lodge in Apache Junction AZ. He loved working with his hands, woodworking and doing mechanical work. He was an all around handyman and if it didn't work, Joy would tinker until he had it fixed. Gardening and yard work were a passion and he enjoyed sharing his produce with everyone. He also enjoyed playing cards and table games with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and was an excellent cook and a great bargain hunter.

Joy's loving family includes his wife of 63 years, Ida; son, Jordan (Diana) Heller of Fargo; daughters, JoEllen (Jerry) Meade of Cheyenne WY, Jeanne Brostrom of Los Angeles CA and Jane (Mike) Gebhart of Meadow SD; eleven grandchildren; twenty-seven great grandchildren; two great great grandchildren; brother: Arnold (Gail) Heller of Rochester MN; sisters: Vivian (Ardel) Lynne of Plaza, Violet (Joe) Lee of Biloxi MS and Viola Brown of Meridien, ID and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

Joy was preceded in death by his parents; son: Jerry; and brothers: Harold and R.H.

Celebration of the Life of Joy Heller: Monday, April 7, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. in Zion Lutheran Church, Berthold.
Interment: Wildrose Cemetery, Berthold.
Visitation: Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. in Thomas Family Funeral Home, Minot.
Memorials are preferred to Zion Lutheran Church.