Graveside services for Jineva Joy Wentworth, age 86, of Clarinda, Iowa, formerly of Burlington, Kansas, who entered into peace Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at Good Samaritan Care Center, Villisca, Iowa, will be held 11:00 a.m. Monday, August 6, 2012 at Lincoln Cemetery, Lebo, Kansas Visitation with the family will be held 5-7 p.m., Friday, August 3, 2012 at Ritchie Funeral Home, Clarinda, Iowa and 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m., Monday, August 6 at Jones Funeral Home, Burlington, Kansas. Burial will be in the Lincoln Cemetery, Lebo, Kansas. Memorials may be directed to Hospice of Southwest Iowa, Corning, Iowa. Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on our website at, www.ritchiefuneralhome.com under Obituaries. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ritchie Funeral Home of Clarinda, Iowa.

Jineva Joy Wentworth was born at Parker, Kansas, May 18, 1926, to Walter R. Dysart and Neva (Lemon) Dysart. She grew up with her younger brother William in Parker and attended all twelve years of school there. She then attended college at Pittsburg, Kansas where she received a teaching certificate. Joy married Junior Cree in 1946 and moved to Searchlight, Nevada where they had two children, Walter Clyde and Joy Maria. She later married Merle Wentworth at Paola, Kansas. Three children were born to this union, Joann, Jerrie and John. Merle also brought his daughter Cora into the family.

Through the years of raising their family, they lived at Paola, Kansas, McPherson, Kansas and Burlington, Kansas. Merle was a transport truck driver and in 1963 was disabled in an accident, leaving Joy to support the family. Cooking had always been a part of her life as she was working at truck stop café when she met Merle. Through the years, she cooked at the Lakeview Café in Strawn, Kansas and also ran her own café for a few years in Burlington. Following Merle's death, she finished her cooking career at Coffey County Hospital. Whenever you wanted good food or to be treated special with your favorite meal; you knew she would have it. Joy received great pleasure treating friends and family with food and she has passed on that trait to her children. She leaves her children and grandchildren with many great memories. Joy was always busy with sewing or patch work projects. At Christmas, you knew someone would receive a comforter, quilt, or pillow or a novelty item she made. She loved seeing, hearing and reading about country music singers and was always willing to take a road trip to see one if she could. Joy liked to take her family to Lander, Wyoming to visit relatives and friends where she had visited often as a child.

Joy was a fifty year Eastern Star member. Following some health issues in 2005, she moved to Clarehaven apartments in Clarinda, Iowa to be near some of her family. She enjoyed talking to all her friends on the phone and visiting with her neighbors. She was able to get out and around for awhile, then her health started going downhill and she spent the last several months at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, Red Oak, Iowa and the Good Samaritan Care Center, Villisca, Iowa.

Preceding Joy in death were her parents; husband, Merle Wentworth (1972); son, Walter Clyde Cree (2001); brother, William Dysart.

Left to cherish her memory are her daughters, Cora Sory and husband Harold; Joy Maria Clapp and husband Kenny; Joann Baumann and husband John; Jerrie Stickler and husband Dave; son, John Wentworth and special friend Angie; thirteen grandchildren; twenty one great grandchildren; seven great, great grandchildren; nieces; nephews and many friends.

May God grant comfort and peace to all who mourn her passing.