Our beloved mother passed peacefully in her Freeland home June 16th, 2025, with her daughter by her side. She was nearly 90 yrs old and lived a long and full life. Born in California then soon after, moved with her family to Canalou, a small agriculture town tucked in the Southeast corner of Missouri. Growing up on her father’s cotton farm, she experienced her share of working in the fields picking cotton. We heard many stories of what a hard job that was laboring in the hot humid Missouri sun picking cotton by hand. After graduating from Canalou High School, she hastily moved to the big city of St Louis, MO where she attended Browns Business College. In 1955 she married her high school sweetheart, Lonnie Mathenia who was an officer in the US Air Force. She was a dutiful Military wife and mother, packing and moving the family dozens of times over her husband’s 21yr military career. They lived in some interesting and beautiful places in Europe and from the West to East coast of USA. Joy and Lonnie finally settled in Citrus Heights, CA and became Real Estate Brokers. They owned a Century 21 Real Estate Office and for 23yrs they had a successful career selling real estate in the Sacramento, CA area. Joy was successful at selling real estate, and good at making longtime friends with many of her clients. It was easy for her to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. After Lonnie passed, she moved to Whidbey Island, WA to be close to her daughters who had all moved there. She designed and built the house she lived in until she passed. Wanting to meet other widows, she started a Widow/Widowers group called “The Alone Togethers”. They had a lot of fun times together. She also enjoyed singing and playing in “The Fun Band”, loved Dixieland Jax music and she shared that passion with her friend Peg Foster. She was a member of “The Red Hats”,” Retired Officers Wives Club”, “The Eagles”, “The American Legion”, and attended Trinity Lutheran Church. She appreciated Pastor Lindus sermons, Carl Olson’s music and the loving people of the church.

Survived by her four daughters, grandson, granddaughter, and two great granddaughters.

She was thoughtful, quick to laugh, and to give compliments or advice. We will always remember that laugh as we miss her terribly. Rest in peace, sweet Joy, with all the loved ones who have proceeded you in death that have been patiently waiting for you to join them.