Joyce Marie (Hettervig) Gilbertson, 71, of Crookston, Minnesota, passed away at the Benedictine Living Center on March 5, 2026.

Joyce was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota on April 14, 1954 to Ernest and Barbara (Baxter) Hettervig.

Joyce grew up in Buxton, North Dakota, was baptized into the Lutheran Church in 1954 and confirmed in 1969 at Highland Lutheran Church in Cumming, North Dakota.  She graduated from Climax High School with the class of 1972, and after high school, attended Wahpeton State School of Science, earning her LPN Nursing degree in 1974. Joyce started her nursing career at Lutheran Memorial Home in Mayville, North Dakota in 1974 and worked there until August of 1975. From there, she went to work for Riverview Nursing Home in 1975. In 2006, she began working at Glenmore Recovery Center where she retired in 2019 after working in the Grand Forks Senior Center as a foot care nurse.

Throughout Joyce's life she lived in Buxton, Wahpeton, Bottineau, and Mayville in North Dakota and Crookston and Eldred in Minnesota. Joyce's faith was important to her, and she was active for many years at her current church, First English Lutheran Church in Eldred, Minnesota. Joyce served as a Sunday School teacher, board member of the church, vice-president and secretary of the Ladies Aid.

Joyce is survived by her son, Josh Gilbertson (Courtney) of Climax, MN; grandchildren, Greyson, Bentley, and Hudson Gilbertson; sisters, Emogean Sundeen of Green River, WY, Nancy Allrich (Alan) of Mahnomen, MN; nieces and nephews, Tony Sheridan, Christopher Hettervig (Melanie), Casey Hettervig (Taylor), Ben Allrich (Jenny), Trent Sundeen, Brian Gilbertson, Jimmy Gilbertson, Scott Bjorgo, Paula Altepeter (John), Elizabeth Hausmann (Karl).

She is preceded in death by her parents; grandparents; uncle, Donald Hettervig; and brother, Marty Hettervig.

A service will be held to celebrate Joyce's life at a later date.