Joyce Nadine Kuhn, the only child of Edward L. and Mildred E. (Turner) Hunscote, was born on June 7, 1929, in Grand Island. She passed away on July 6, 2026, at Litzenberg Long Term Care in Central City.

Funeral services were held on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Heartland Evangelical Free Church in Central City with Pastor Nathan Musgrave officiating. Burial was held at Bureau Cemetery at Pierce Chapel, Merrick County, Nebraska on Wednesday, July 15th at 1:00 p.m. Joyce attended the public schools in Clarks, graduating from high school in 1947. After graduation, she attended Doane University and then the University of Nebraska— Lincoln (UNL) where she graduated with honors in 1951. While at UNL, she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority. After graduation, she taught high school English at Hebron for two years. Joyce was united in marriage to William H. Kuhn on August 30, 1953, at the First Congregational Church at Clarks. They lived in San Diego, California while Bill completed his naval service. While there, Joyce worked for the San Diego public library system. After Bill’s discharge, they returned to the Hunscote family farm northwest of Clarks. Joyce taught at the Central City Junior High School for three years and then began raising her children and supporting Bill in their farming operation. Joyce was a long-time member of the First Congregational Church of Clarks, having accepted Christ as her Savior in junior high and rededicating her life to Him in 1958. She served the church as Sunday school teacher, bible study leader, piano accompanist, mission secretary, and clerk. One of her great joys was to help write and direct the annual Sunday School Christmas program at the church. Upon retiring from the farm and moving to Central City in 2001, Joyce became a member of the Heartland Evangelical Free Church. For many years Joyce led a Good News Bible Club in Clarks and she served on the Merrick County Child Evangelism Fellowship committee. She was also a member of Arbor Chapter #200 Order of the Eastern Star of Central City. Her faith and her family were most important to Joyce. She was also an enthusiastic walker, an avid reader, a gardener who never feared to try and raise a new vegetable, and an excellent cook. Joyce often shared baked goods with friends and neighbors, including her annual Christmas tree cinnamon rolls.

She is preceded in death by her husband of sixty-five years, Bill; her parents; and all her husband’s siblings and parents.

Joyce is survived by her son, Reg of Lincoln; son, Kurt (Kristen) of Clarks; son, Kyle (Stephanie) of San Antonio, Texas; and daughter, Kay (Stuart) Fitzsimons of Conroe, Texas; and eight grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

Memorials are suggested to the Merrick County Foundation for the Clarks School Endowment Fund or to the Heartland Evangelical Free Church of Central City.

The Central City Republican-Nonpareil | July 16, 2026