Joyce Hughes

Joyce Lorraine (Rynders) Hughes was born December 29, 1929 to Peter and Ida Rynders in Lebanon, Iowa. She attended the Hull Christian School and graduated from Western Christian High School in Hull.  

She passed into glory with Jesus on February 4, 2026 at age 96. She lived with her husband Don Hughes in Ireton Iowa after her marriage in 1956. They raised four sons there. In the early 80's, Joyce moved to Orange City and lived there until 1992. She worked at the Heritage House in Orange City for 17 years. She was a member of the Dover Alliance Church.  She then moved several times--to Colorado, then to Texas, and then to Norfolk NE in 2006. Toward the end of her life she lived in the Countryside Home Nursing Facility where she was living when she died.  

Joyce always loved flowers, gardens, preserving food, feeding her family well and seeing God's handiwork everywhere. She could never remove a flower from her garden, even if it was growing in entirely the wrong place. She loved to sew, and made many clothes, but also loved to make doll clothes for her nieces.  She also had a lovely voice and listened to opera every Saturday afternoon on the radio. She entertained the residents in Countryside well into her 80's. As one of the oldest in the family, she was often tasked with rearing her younger siblings until she married and moved out.  

Survivors include her sons David Hughes and Kevin Hughes, both of Norfolk NE. She has two grandchildren, and is survived by two brothers—Peter Rynders (Bernice) of Grand Rapids MI, and Ron Rynders (Karen) of Sioux Center and one brother-in-law Pierce Feenstra of Norfolk NE. She was preceded in death by her sons Alex Hughes and Loren Hughes; her sisters Esther (Arie) Olivier and Mardelle (Pierce) Feenstra; and brothers Harold Rynders, Dennis Rynders and his wife Kathy.  

The family has decided to gather relatives at some point in the summer of 2026 for a memorial service in lieu of a formal funeral at this time.  

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joyce Hughes, please visit our floral store.