JOY MARIE MCNAMARA

Joy Marie McNamara 
Beloved mother, grandmother and friend

Joy Marie McNamara 68, passed in her home surrounded by family and her devoted friend on January 24, 2017. 

She was born on July 7, 1948, the daughter of Isabella and Michael McNamara of Glenwood City, Wisconsin. Joy went to St. John’s Catholic School and Glenwood City high school where she was a cheerleader and Homecoming Queen for the Glenwood City Hilltoppers.

Joy loved her work, shopping and decorating. When she was told her illness was terminal she said, “let’s go shopping”. She never let being a woman stop her from her dreams and mentored and helped young single parents find jobs. Joy honed her business skills at Dresser Trapc Rock in Dresser, WI, as the first minority bidder on government contracts and was proud to wear a hard hat. She started her first company, Shamrock Trucking in Mpls., MN. Joy remarried and moved to a Minnesota ranch where she raised cattle and cared for her horse Jack until in 1988 she found a run-down bar on Lake Melissa, in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, the Country 17 Club, formerly the Tree House and set out on her dream of a restaurant of the best char steaks and home cooking. Walleyes and locally grown mashed potatoes became favorites. Customers brought in family recipes and Joy prepared them. Joy also exhibited and promoted art of local artists in her restaurant. 

After 28 years, on November 14, 2017 Joy’s beloved dream, the County 17 Club, very tragically burned to the ground.

She is survived and will be missed by her daughter Jodi Defeyter and son-in-law John Defeyter of Roseville, MN; her son Jeff Jaeger and daughter-in-law Jill Defeyter of Detroit Lakes, MN; her beloved grandchildren Renee, Reed, Jay and Mari; sister Darlene Livingston of Staten Island, NY; brother Lawrence McNamara of Glenwood City, WI and sister Renita McNamara Best of Amery, WI.