Joyce Lee

Joyce Lee, age 78, of Pelican Rapids, Minnesota passed away at her residence on Thursday, August 14, 2025. Born on October 8, 1946, in Hammond, Indiana, she was the beloved daughter of John P. and Eleanor E. (Schroeder) Lewontuk. As a young child, Joyce grew up in the Junedale neighborhood of Gary, IN where she spent much of her time playing outside and doing what little girls do. While still in elementary school, her family relocated to Bucks County, Pennsylvania due to her father becoming a General Foreman in US Steel. While in PA, she learned all the newest dances and trends like the Twist, Go Go Gorilla, the Watusi, and many more. She was in line several times to be on the TV show American Band Stand but never quite made it. Growing up on the east coast allowed her to be one of the first people to learn many of these dances. While living in PA, she had many life adventures such as going to the Atlantic City Board Walk, numerous trips to Florida with her parents and grandmother, Ida Schroeder, and vacations to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York At one point while in Florida she brought home an alligator as a pet until her mother decided it couldn't stay in the bathtub anymore. She

Lived in PA until 10th grade then moved back to Gary, where she graduated in 1964 from Lew Wallace High School as one of the highest in her class. She then attended Indiana University in Bloomington, IN for about a year before transferring to a junior college in Chicago. Soon after, she began working in the front office of US Steel where her father worked.

In October of 1968, Joyce married Ted A Leucuta, and they settled down in Merrillville, IN. Together, they had two boys, Todd and Jason. Joyce was a legal secretary in the 70s, became a real estate broker in the early 80s and held that license in MN, WI, and FL. In the late 70s, she moved to Hayward, WI to be closer to her mom, dad, and grandmother who built a home on Spider Lake. Eventually her travels took her down to Vero Beach, Florida where she resided there for a few years before moving back to Minnesota. She lived in Detroit Lakes for a very short time and eventually settled in her beautiful, homey, lake house in Pelican Rapids, MN in the year 2000.In 2000 she started her own mortgage company by the name of First Choice Mortgage in Fergus Falls, MN. Because of her urge to help others, her interest in medicine, and her eagerness to learn more, she went back to school and graduated with her LPN in 2011 at the age of 64. With the nursing license, she worked at the Fergus Falls Veterans Home. If there was any word to describe her, the word insatiability fits her to a T. She always wanted to learn and know whether she understood or not, interested in anything anybody was doing or saying, had a heart of gold and was always willing to help people, put everyone before herself to the point where her food was cold every single time before she sat down for dinner. When she said love or proud to anyone or in any sentence, she meant that with every ounce of her body. When she said it, it was pure. Saying “she meant it” wasn’t enough. She never thought of herself when saying it, there was no pretense or selfishness in the way she spoke. She fully meant that. It was as pure as a driven snow and anyone who spoke to her, whether they knew her or didn’t know her, could feel it.

Joyce was a member of Cormorant Lutheran Church, she was active in book club, writing club, card club, and took guitar lessons. She was extremely active for her age as she still plowed snow, mowed her lawn, drove her own boat, played guitar and sung in a band, went swimming, gardened, did yard work, etc. She even recently sang and played guitar in a talent show in Detroit lakes. She found great joy in hosting her annual 4th of July parties at her lake house on Prairie Lake in Pelican Rapids with family and friends, Joyce enjoyed spending time with her sons and granddaughters ,cooking and baking, playing card games (especially pinochle; Up and Down the River was her enemy… thanks to Bob Lyngaas whom she could never beat) going for golf cart rides, learning, spending time on the lake, painting and drawing, playing guitar, singing, fishing, kayaking, gardening, holidays (especially Christmas), waterskiing, coffee, daisies, doing her hair and her nails and traveling.

She had dreams of writing a book, loved anything outdoorsy and involving water, was a huge fan of Chicago sports teams, had a huge love for animals, and living in Pelican Rapids. She was inspired by her granddaughters to keep up on the latest trends to stay young - this involved modernizing her house, buying a smart watch, adding Google and Alexa all over the house, getting snapchat, and trying the latest hair styles because “Age is just a number, it doesn’t limit anything”

She is survived by sons, Todd Leucuta of Lewiston, MN and Jason (Sarah) Leucuta, of Pelican Rapids, MN; granddaughters, Maddison Leucuta, of Saint Charles, MN & Makenzie and Hollie Leucuta, of Pelican Rapids, MN; and many loving family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Eleanor Lewontuk; grandparents Ernest and Ida Schroeder and Artum and Stella Lewontuk; and many cousins, aunts and uncles.