Joyce Eileen Schmautz, 71

Joyce Eileen Schmautz, born Dec. 1, 1951 in Kalispell, passed away on June 27, 2023 after a long battle with cancer.

She is survived by her siblings, Lonnie Siblerud, Lu Ann Borgen and Janet Bustad; her husband, Alan; and her children, Will Schmautz, Seth Schmautz, Kadyn Paya and Winston Hamel. Joyce found great joy in her grandchildren, Avi, Zander, Andres, Elliott, Emma, Owen Schmautz and Louise Paya.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Ellsworth and Kathryn Siblerud; and her sister, Judy Siblerud.

Joyce attended Egan Primary School and Flathead High School. She furthered her studies at Seattle Pacific University, Eastern Montana College in Billings, and Flathead Valley Community College.

Joyce pursued all she did with a heart to serve others and better the world in which she lived. She worked as a teacher's aide at East Evergreen School, Kalispell LASER High School and in Santa Barbara, Calif. Joyce and her husband owned and operated Alan Portraits, a photography studio for 17 years. She also worked for the International Lama Registry, served as a missionary with her family in Nigeria, and helped manage the Baptist Guest House in Abuja.

Joyce was one of the early leaders of the Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) program in Kalispell. Her passion for children led her to help establish BSF youth programs in Kalispell as well as in Jos (1990-1992) and Abuja, Nigeria (2005-2006).

Early in the 1980s Joyce and her husband Alan hosted Irish Catholic and Protestant children for Children’s Committee 10, an initiative to ease sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland. Their story was portrayed in a 1984 Hallmark movie entitled “Children in the Crossfire.”

Joyce found joy in playing the guitar, piano and singing. In college she performed in musical productions and with the folk group “Tater Wine.” Joyce helped lead worship and teach Sunday school at Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Kalispell, Hillcrest Chapel of Jos, Nigeria, The International Church of Abuja, Nigeria, and Faith Covenant Presbyterian Church of Kalispell.

She enjoyed racquetball and competed in tournaments throughout Montana. Later in life she became an avid hiker. In 2021 Joyce wrote, and her daughter illustrated, a children’s book "Who Built the Road, Daddy?” (Farcountry Press) which details the creation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.

Memorial services for Joyce will be held on Saturday, July 8, 2023. The interment will take place at 10 a.m. at Conrad Memorial Cemetery, followed by a celebration of life at 11 a.m. at Faith Covenant Presbyterian Church, 611 3rd Ave. E. Kalispell. Both events are open to all. The celebration of life will be streamed on Youtube/Faith Covenant Church of Kalispell.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Rafiki Foundation (PO Box 1988, Eustis, FL 32727, rafikifoundation.org) or Faith Covenant Church (www.faithcov.com).

Joyce will be dearly missed by her family, friends and all those whose lives she touched. Her legacy of love for God and others, compassion and dedication will continue to inspire us all.