Joyce Renn Cooper, 87

Our matriarch, our salt of the Earth, danced her way beyond the stars to be reunited with so many gone before her.

Joyce, age 87, was born to Dee and Laura (Patrick) Ramey in South Boulder at a time when sacrifice, resourcefulness and integrity were an expected part of life. She attended school at Cardwell School and Whitehall High School.

She took her first job at age eleven when she moved to a local ranch to care for three children and cook for their ranch hands. Honing those skills over her lifetime, she wore many hats working and volunteering. Ultimately, they all revolved around personal...