In Memory Of
Joyce Mae Thierer
1949
2023
Joyce Mae Thierer
September 3, 1949 — April 10, 2023
Dr. Joyce Mae Thierer, 73, of Admire, passed away Monday, April 10, 2023.
Joyce was born September 3, 1949 in Wamego, Kansas, the daughter of Lowell and Myrtle Mae (Gustafson) Thierer. She graduated from Alma High School, received undergraduate and doctoral degrees in history from Kansas State University and two masters degrees, in library science and history, from Emporia State University. She developed her work ethic growing up on a diversified farm/ranch near Volland with a museum and annual Molasses Days agricultural history fair. The only part of being inducted into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame that she regretted was that her mother was not there to celebrate. Her brother Larry is the fifth generation on the farmstead with Joyce's family owning pastureland.
Joyce purchased her first horse when she was eleven, a red roan mustang named Trixie who taught her to pay attention—and many other life skills. Also dear to her was Spirit, who was her "teddy bear" and occasionally upstaged her as she crafted her Calamity Jane performance and then with her spouse, Ann Birney, developed Ride into History, their historical performance touring troupe.
One evening in 1986 while Joyce was working on her second masters and teaching part-time for ESU she flung the door open and announced, "I love to teach!" Ann said, "Then you will need to get a PhD." And no time was lost, especially not as Joyce discovered that her battle with the PhD second language requirement (and her battle with much of her schooling) had a name: dyslexia. On her way to becoming a tenured professor teaching a wide range of courses for Emporia State University Joyce learned how to help qualified students use recorded books from the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and the Kansas State Library.
Joyce's son Chris Wisneski claimed her heart when he was 17 months old. Chris, his wife Stacy and bonus daughter Emily, Chris's daughter Alicea, and Ali's husband Felix Nunez and their children, Aidyn and Logan, have all moved to Admire from Albuquerque. Ann's birth family (Dunhaupts) and their families have been Joyce's family as well. Any and all who want to celebrate Joyce's life are invited to the Admire Community Center on Saturday, June 24th at 10:30 (breakfast 7:00-9:30 free-will offering for Admire PRIDE).
To share your memories of Joyce or to leave a special condolence message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.
Joyce was born September 3, 1949 in Wamego, Kansas, the daughter of Lowell and Myrtle Mae (Gustafson) Thierer. She graduated from Alma High School, received undergraduate and doctoral degrees in history from Kansas State University and two masters degrees, in library science and history, from Emporia State University. She developed her work ethic growing up on a diversified farm/ranch near Volland with a museum and annual Molasses Days agricultural history fair. The only part of being inducted into the Kansas Cowboy Hall of Fame that she regretted was that her mother was not there to celebrate. Her brother Larry is the fifth generation on the farmstead with Joyce's family owning pastureland.
Joyce purchased her first horse when she was eleven, a red roan mustang named Trixie who taught her to pay attention—and many other life skills. Also dear to her was Spirit, who was her "teddy bear" and occasionally upstaged her as she crafted her Calamity Jane performance and then with her spouse, Ann Birney, developed Ride into History, their historical performance touring troupe.
One evening in 1986 while Joyce was working on her second masters and teaching part-time for ESU she flung the door open and announced, "I love to teach!" Ann said, "Then you will need to get a PhD." And no time was lost, especially not as Joyce discovered that her battle with the PhD second language requirement (and her battle with much of her schooling) had a name: dyslexia. On her way to becoming a tenured professor teaching a wide range of courses for Emporia State University Joyce learned how to help qualified students use recorded books from the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped and the Kansas State Library.
Joyce's son Chris Wisneski claimed her heart when he was 17 months old. Chris, his wife Stacy and bonus daughter Emily, Chris's daughter Alicea, and Ali's husband Felix Nunez and their children, Aidyn and Logan, have all moved to Admire from Albuquerque. Ann's birth family (Dunhaupts) and their families have been Joyce's family as well. Any and all who want to celebrate Joyce's life are invited to the Admire Community Center on Saturday, June 24th at 10:30 (breakfast 7:00-9:30 free-will offering for Admire PRIDE).
To share your memories of Joyce or to leave a special condolence message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Joyce Mae Thierer, please visit our flower store.
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