Joy wrote her own obituary dated April 25, 2002. It's as follows:

Joy Nadine was born the third child from the marriage of Alden “Ted” Harper and Iva (Elam) Harper on a farm about seven miles north of Holly, Colorado.

She attended 11 years of school in Holly later taking a correspondence course for her high school diploma. She also took several courses from Lamar College.

She was married to Stanley Lepel and had three children. She was also blessed with four grandchildren; Brian, Katie, Darrett and Alex.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother; her son, Stanley Dean and nephew Craig Lee Claunch.

Joy worked several years as a dispatcher for the Baca County Sheriff's Office, at the Springfield Abstract Office and ran the Museum from 1993 to the present time.

The following is an updated version of Joy's obituary:

Joy Nadine (Harper) Lepel, 85, passed away on June 26, 2026, at Southeast Colorado Hospital in Springfield, Colorado.

Joy was born on May 21, 1941, in a farmhouse north of Holly, Colorado, to Alden “Ted” Harper and Iva (Elam) Harper Fair. She attended school in Holly and spent most of her life in Springfield, where she became a familiar and respected member of the community.

Joy married Stanley Lepel, and together they welcomed three children before later separating. She worked as a dispatcher for the Baca County Sheriff’s Office, at the Springfield Abstract Office, and later at the Baca County Museum before retiring.

For nearly 30 years Joy shared much of her life with companion, Dale Mackey. Their years together were filled with friendship, shared interests, and a love of family until Dale’s passing. Joy also cherished her relationship with Dale’s children and their families—Darrell (Susie), Oak (Brenda), Dennis (Shannon) and Darlene Kreb—and remained especially close with Darrell and Oak, who stayed in frequent contact with her over the years. In her final hours at Southeast Colorado Hospital Joy was comforted by the presence of Darrell Mackey. Her daughter, Brenda Kerr was herself hospitalized several hours away while awaiting surgery and despite wanting to be there, was unable to be with her mother when she passed.

Joy lived a simple and frugal life. She found her greatest happiness in being surrounded by her children, grandchildren, siblings, and extended family. Time together meant far more to her than material possessions. One of Joy’s greatest passions was genealogy. Alongside Dale, she devoted countless hours to researching and preserving her family’s history. Long before records could be researched online, they traveled hundreds of miles, combed through courthouse records, visited cemeteries, exchanged letters and made countless phone calls in search of family connections. Through her dedication and perseverance, Joy preserved a priceless legacy for generations to come.

Joy’s life was also marked by profound loss. She endured the heartbreaking deaths of two sons and her grandson, yet she continued to cherish every opportunity to share time with those she loved. Joy was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Mick Harper and his wife, Elaine; her sister Gloria Claunch and her husband, Jim; brother-in-law Joe (Becki) Tonozzi; sister-in-law Mary Ann (Gary) Fair; her companion, Dale Mackey; her sons, Stanley Dean Lepel and Bill Lepel; and her grandson, Darrett Lepel.

She is survived by her daughter, Brenda (Aaron) Kerr; grandchildren, Brian Kerr, Katie (Scott) Allen, and Alex (Chelsea) Lepel; great-grandchildren, Chase and Lila Joy Kerr, Ethan and Aubrey Allen, and Hannah Lepel; her sister, Becki Tonozzi (spouse Jeff Laird); her brother, Gary Fair; numerous nieces and nephews, great and great-great nieces and nephews, extended family members, and dear friends who will cherish her memory.

Joy will be remembered for her laugh, her quiet strength, her kind heart, her unwavering love of family, and her lifelong dedication to preserving the stories and history of those she loved. Her greatest happiness was found in gathering with those she loved. Her greatest treasures were never things but the people who filled her life. Her legacy lives on not only through the generations she leaves behind but also through the family history she worked so faithfully to preserve.