Joy Jensen

Joy Jensen was born July 28, 1928 in a cabin on Spectacle Lake in Isanti County Minnesota to Cora Bockoven and Nels Jensen. She grew up in the Green Lake area on the family homestead. Joy graduated from Princeton High School in 1946. In her desire to become a “stewardess” she moved to Minneapolis. This dream wasn’t fulfilled, so she began working at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Her father passed away suddenly in 1948 so she returned to Green Lake to be near her mother. Here she met and married Kermit Lemke. They built a home on the family homestead and were blessed with two daughters, Lynette and Jody.

While working at Cambridge Memorial Hospital, she ran a small Christmas wreath making side business where she first began exploring her artistic talents. In 1969 she bought the Cambridge Floral Shop. After only one week of training at the Cliff Mann School in Colorado, she became a florist. “Joy’s Flowers” flourished over the next few years until her divorce from Kermit.

Some time after this she married George Snider and moved to Oregon, only miles from the Pacific Ocean. In Oregon, Joy built two homes, started raising mules, and began her adventures exploring the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. In what she called her “Garden of Eden Forest”, she discovered bracket fungi and used these natural canvases to create various nature scenes selling hundreds in local flower shops.

In 1980 they moved to Arkansas purchasing 18 acres and began raising beefmaster cattle. As the herd grew, she found a 155 acre ranch on Southside road near Oden, Arkansas. It was here where she embarked on her most unique business venture of all. She started to gather moss, fungus, crystals, tree branches and bark. She sold these items to the high end shops and floral designers in Texas and Oklahoma from her truck and trailer. Her customers called her “The Nature Lady” and the name stuck. The stories by her customers vaulted her to near legendary status and helped her thrive for over thirty years. Joy often referred to this business as finding her purpose.

When health and safety concerns arose living in rural Arkansas, she moved to Moorhead near Jody until her passing.

Joy is survived by her daughter, Lynette (John) Munkberg, their children: Marde, Maria (Ross), Darrin (Rory) daughter, Jody (Scott) Barrett, Jody’s children: Jeremy (Asha), Justin (Lana), Joel (Alie). Great Grandchildren, Rachel, Phillip, Davis, Lily, Tuck, Mabel, Jonah, Jordan, Amelia and 6 step grandchildren, 19 step great grandchildren, and 4 step great great grandchildren along with nieces, nephews, friends and business associates.

A Visitation for Joy will begin at 11:00 AM, Saturday, September 19, 2026, followed by her Funeral Service at 12:00 PM in Trollwood Performing Arts Center, 801 50th Ave. S., Moorhead. She will be laid to rest in Oak Knoll Cemetery, Princeton, MN.

We invite you to take a few moments to share fond memories and words of comfort and condolence with Joy’s family in the Guestbook below her obituary.

Joy had a profound impact on countless lives. Your love and stories mean the most to her family. If you would like to honor Joy with a gift, memorial donations can be sent to the Daughters of the American Revolution. (DAR).

(Korsmo Funeral and Cremation Service, Moorhead, MN)