Obituary: Joyce Ann (Gibson) Kaster

Joyce Ann (Gibson) Kaster was born January 28, 1941, in Kellerton Iowa and passed away July 1, 2026, at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines Iowa with her two sons by her side. Joyce was the second child of Chet and Doris (Duffield) Gibson. Joyce married Ronald Kaster and to this union two sons were born, Bryan Lee and Brent Lynn.
Joyce learned expert cooking and homemaking skills from her mother and at the same time loved being outside in the barn lot with her “daddy”, as long as she stayed in the “Safe Zone” away from the workhorses and other livestock! Joyce loved her pet dog and kittens and even a pet squirrel. Her pet dog Tiny went for many rides in her bicycle basket up and down the lane and to visit her cousins down the road. In high school she was a dead eye free throw shooter in basketball, and she also learned to play piano and was a beautiful vocalist. These talents continued into later adulthood. An expert soloist, Joyce sang for many weddings, funerals and church choirs. Joyce loved to cook family dinners for the holidays or any other time and loved having the family all sitting around the table eating a good meal, and of course at the end of the meal she always had one of her prize-winning angel food cakes made from scratch for dessert. Joyce also loved going around the state to sheep shows with her sons. She was always willing to hold the lead of one of the sheep or take pictures or hold water bottles or anything else that her son needed. Joyce loved anytime spent with her parents or her sons and eventually, her grand kids and great grandchild.
Joyce graduated from Kellerton High School and then went to college in Maryville, Missouri to study office management. Her focus was on business and specifically secretarial and typing. Joyce was a top-notch secretary. She was a speedy and accurate typist, expert speller, proofreader, and shorthand taker. Following marriage on June 4th, 1961, Joyce and Ronald moved to Des Moines to begin their careers. Ronald in construction and Joyce as a secretary at Skelly oil. Joyce next worked for Ruan Leasing in Des Moines. After several years and the birth of her two sons, the couple moved to Indianola where Joyce resided the rest of her life. Ronald and Joyce built their dream house on an acreage south of Indianola which she was very proud of. Joyce worked as the high school office secretary all while her sons were in school at Indianola and then once they graduated, she wanted to go back to the business world and worked for Francis and Associates and Keisling and Associates.
Joyce poured her heart and soul and love into raising her two sons. She supported them in all activities, from basketball, band, FFA, 4-H, and countless sheep shows. This support graduated to her four grandkids from the union of Bryan and Amy. Addie, Kaleb, Greichaly and Ania. Joyce was also blessed with a great grandchild Rosie from Addie and husband Daylon and was looking forward to another great grandchild in October from Greichaly and husband Chris.
Joyce was a dedicated member of the Rebekah Lodge which she joined in 1977. She loved all of her Lodge work. Joyce loved wearing the beautiful formals and attending conventions around the state, and the State of Iowa convention and even the International Convention of Rebekah Lodges. Some of her lodge work included drill team, singing in the choir, holding many of the offices, singing solos and being president of the Iowa Rebekah Lodge in 2009/2010. Joyce loved keeping the record books and being the treasure of Rebekah’s and did that for the rest of her life. Joyce loved serving others through the work of the lodge by providing meals at funerals and other events for the community. She was fortunate enough to travel the state with her parents, Chet and Doris, attending various lodge conventions and social events.
Joyce was preceded in death by her loving parents Chet and Doris Gibson, her grandparents Ray and Pearl Duffield and an infant brother Johnny.
She is survived by her sons Bryan and wife Amy Kaster of Harlan and Brent Kaster of Indianola; grandchildren Addie (Daylon) Klindt of Shelby, Kaleb (Maggie) Kaster of Mapleton, Greichaly (Chris) Ellens of Sioux Center, and Ania of Harlan; great-grandchildren Rosie Klindt.
Services were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa with Rev. Rick Hawkins officiating. A Rebekah service was also included in the service. Special music was provided by Penny Furnald and Dick & Camille Jackson. Casketbearers included Kaleb Kaster, Daylon Klindt, Chris Ellens, Curt Duffield, John Gibson, John Quinnell and Steve Norris. Burial was in Maple Row Cemetery.  A memorial fund has been established to the Maple Row Cemetery in Kellerton.