Joyce Carol (Torgerson) Wahlin

Joyce Carol Torgerson was born on August 2, 1934, to parents Carl and Alpha Torgerson in McIntosh MN. She attended McIntosh Public Schools, graduating from that district's high school in 1952. She enrolled at Bemidji State University, where she spent two years. From Bemidji, she transferred to Concordia College in Moorhead MN and received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a minor in Music. Later in life, she studied at the University of Colorado in Denver, where she attained a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Education in 1989.
While at Concordia, she met her husband Joe Wahlin, and they were married on August 24, 1957.  After the wedding, Joyce taught school in Columbia Heights and St. Paul MN, making it possible for her husband to finish his education at Luther Theological Seminary. While living in the Twin Cities, their first child Denise was born. Joe was assigned to Choteau and Dutton Lutheran Parish for his internship year, and it was here both Joe and Joyce began their lifelong love affair with the great state of Montana.
After Joe's ordination, they were called to Our Savior's Goldstone Lutheran parish in Rudyard MT.  Here, Joyce made the decision to raise her children as a full-time mother since her husband was gone so often fulfilling parish responsibilities. Also, during this time, in a little hospital in Chester MT, two additional children, Naomi and Timothy were born.
Joyce's adventure as a pastor's wife began in Helena MT at Our Redeemer's Lutheran for five years.  In 1971, the family moved to St. Paul Lutheran in Missoula, welcoming the addition of their adopted son Jonathan in 1973. When Jonathan began grade school, Joyce resumed her career in teaching. She taught for one year at Hawthorne School and spent the remainder of her career in Missoula teaching kindergarten at Lewis and Clark Elementary School. She served as children's choir director at St. Paul Lutheran and as hostess for many Sunday parsonage dinners. She also filled in as organist for the congregation whenever needed.
Her most difficult move was leaving Missoula after 15 ½ years to live in Lakewood CO for the final years of Joe's career.  Along with finishing her master's degree and beginning a preschool program at Presentation of Our Lady Catholic Parish, she formed and directed the bell choir at Holy Shepherd Lutheran. In the year 2000 after 4 decades, she and Joe retired from full-time ministry. In a late-night conversation, while discussing where they would spend their retirement, she looked at Joe and asked, "Can we go back to Montana?"
So, it came to be, that the last 25 years of her life were spent by the Clark Fork River near Superior and later when her health deteriorated, at their smaller home in Missoula.
Joyce died at home on Sunday morning August 17, 2025, one week short of the couple's 68th wedding anniversary. Left to mourn her death, along with her husband Joe, are her four children; Denise (Jim) Wahlin-Fiskum, Naomi (Mark) Wallace, Timothy (Melissa) Wahlin, Jonathan (Kaaren) Wahlin and foster daughter Eliza Rose ComesLast. She also treasured her grandchildren; Hilary, Jack, Matthew, Hannah, Carl, Isaac. Micah, Olyvia, Keenan, Trevor and Oscar, along with 6 great-grandchildren. She is survived by a sister, Marilyn Weeding. She was preceded in death by her parents and three siblings; Irene Ferden, Frances Torgerson and Wallace Torgerson.
Her life was a wonderful gift to the world, and we pray that her memory will be a blessing to all who knew her and were touched by her ministry.

** The simulcast of the service will be accessible from the St Paul Lutheran Church website https://www.stpaulmissoulamt.org/
and also will be archived there.