Ann Marie Joy

Ann Marie Joy (Oetter) was born on July 19th, 1917 in Denver, Colorado. She was the youngest of 7, her eldest brother being 24 years older than she. Annie's family moved to Lyons, Colorado to homestead when she was a young girl.

During the Great Depression, Annie's family had to sell the family farm in Lyons and move to Denver. During this economic struggle, Annie worked at a candy store to help the family out. She gave all her earnings to her parents. Living through the Great Depression made a lasting impact on her. Through her life she taught her son's and granddaughter's the value of a dollar and the importance of family.

In her early 20s, she met Pat Joy at a dance and they soon began dating. Annie's family was weary of his Italian roots, but she was smitten. The couple married on March 31st, 1940 in Denver. A few years into marriage Annie found herself traveling to Seattle where Pat was stationed during WWII. When he was shipped to the Pacific, Annie decided to help her country out. She began working as a crane operator, and during one shift she fell asleep in the crane! During the war, she wrote a letter to Pat every day and included a piece of gum.

After the war, Pat and Annie settled down in the newly built Harvey Park neighborhood in Southwest Denver. They had just begun their family with the birth of Pat Jr and 2 years later, Mike. Annie spent her days raising Pat and Mike, and enjoying social clubs like the Eastern Star. She created a warm home for the boys to grow up in and enjoyed being the matriarch of the family.

During the early 1960s, Annie began taking Pat and Mike to Broncos games. They bought tickets in the South Stands due to the low price. Annie soon got the entire family hooked, and they instantly became Denver Broncos Season Ticket holders. Annie's love for football was contagious and she soon had a house full of friends and family every Sunday to enjoy the games.

In addition to the Bronco games, Annie and Pat began traveling to Granby, Colorado where they bought property. They created Roadside Trailer Park where they built a community of family and friends. Annie found herself feeding several wild animals through the years including Raccoons and a baby cub. There, she enjoyed playing golf, cribbage and ringing the bell for annual potlucks.

In the 1980s, Annie and Pat joined a travel club, Ports-of-Call. Through this club, they met many friends, and were able to travel the world. She also welcomed two granddaughters into her life, Barb and Gail. She was elated with her granddaughters and spent countless hours taking them to Cinderella City to visit Santa, mystery trips through Estes Park, and teaching them how to play golf and cribbage in Granby. She became ecstatic when she became a great-grandmother to Peyton earlier this year. Although she did not want to be called great-grandma because she thought it made her seem old. Annie's humor kept her young at heart until her last day. She is a peace now with Pat by her side.

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