Carolyn Joy Winston

Born January 9, 1936, in Shelby County, MO, to Fred W. “Daddy Jack” Brown and Bertha (Calvert) Brown. Joy was the youngest of 4 daughters, with her older sisters, Barbara D., Phyllis Jo, and Marilyn Jane.

Joy grew up on a 120-acre family farm in Emden, MO, and always spoke fondly of her memories working on the farm and with the animals. She attended Culver Stockton College and was in the Sigma Kappa sorority. There the farm girl met the city boy, Lee Winston (of Pittsfield, IL) who was part of the Lambda Chi fraternity at the college. On their first date in 1954, Joy and Lee split the 2 olives of his martini – this would go on to be a weekly tradition, where they would spend every Friday night splitting the olives – for a total of 3,536 olives. It was only recently that Joy admitted that she hated olives. On September 30, 1955 – Carolyn Joy Brown married Lee Large Winston in Hannibal, MO.

Joy retired from the State of Illinois’ Legislative Reference Bureau (LRB), where she spent many years working through the long nights of Session to assist with completion of the work for the House and Senate. After retirement, she volunteered at Memorial Hospital, Chatham Food Pantry, and Daily Bread. But she got her greatest enjoyment loving on her many dogs that were attached to her hip and fed meals fit for a king/queen, pruning and admiring her many flowers and rose bushes throughout her yard, constantly moving the furniture around to a new layout, being the best Gma and GGma to her grand kids and great grandkids, welcoming all with the warmest most loving hug you could find, and perfecting the World’s Best Potato Salad that was requested at every single family gathering – so that she finally put a restriction that it was only allowed after start of Spring, and ended when Fall hit.

Her front porch was her favorite place to be (no matter how hot it was), as well as having Saturday morning coffee and holidays with her entire family there and in the yard. She loved looking at the field across the street (beans to corn rotation each year), watching the Route 4 traffic across the field, waving to cars as they sped by down County Road, or talking to the people walking by each day.

Joy is survived by her husband of 67 years, Lee Winston of Chatham, IL, and her sister, Marilyn Meyers of Palmyra, IL. Mom to her surviving three daughters (“Her Girls”), Dawn Dee Turley of Loami, Hope Leigh (Carl) Szabo of Glenarm, and Faith Marie (Ron) Yanor of Chatham. A wonderful “Gma” to six grandchildren, Melissa Dawn “Missy” Turley of Springfield, IL, Jeremy Lee (Jana) Turley of San Diego, CA, Chrystal Hope Szabo and Kara Marie (Rob) Smith, both of Chatham, IL, Adam Augustus Yanor of Springfield, IL, and Maxwell “Max” Hazen Yanor of Bloomington, IL. She laughed and loved and was a great “GGma” to her great grandchildren: Rylee Joy, Reed Leeroy, Camdyn Ellen, Liam Carl, and Aurora Hope. She also had loving nieces and nephews, Melanie (Bruce) Brown of Hannibal, MO, Kim Jane Lewis (Phil) of St Louis, MO, Stacey (Brian) Juette, Danny (Jody) Meyers of Palmyra, MO, and Steven (Karen) Meyers of Quincy, IL.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Barbara Clarkson and Phyllis Jo Wingfield; niece, Theresa Meyers; and nephews, David Meyers, and Michael & Larry Clarkson.

Traveling on County Road in Chatham, IL will not be as bright of a trip without her waving from her porch swing (dog at her side and barking) to say hello with her warm voice, an always comforting smile, and the best laugh you could ever imagine.

The family will host a Celebration of Life Open House from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the Chatham VFW Post #4763, 214 W. Chestnut St., Chatham, IL 62629.

Memorial contributions can be made to one of the following charities that Joy loved to support:

Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org or P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516, Animal Protective League, www.apl-shelter.org or 1001 Taintor Rd., Springfield, IL 62702, Springfield Art Association, www.springfieldart.org or 700 N. 4th St., Springfield, IL 62702, Alzheimer’s Association (including Dementia), www.alz.org or P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011, or Chatham Food Pantry, 1835 E. Walnut St., Chatham, IL 62629. There will also be donation boxes for the charities at the Celebration of Life.

Cremation was provided by Butler Cremation Tribute Center.

The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home-Chatham, 8855 State Route 4, Chatham, IL.