August 24, 2009 

COPENHAGEN, N.Y.  —  Joanne Kay Beyer, 55, residing in the village of Copenhagen for most of her life, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family under the care of hospice. She had struggled with a debilitating disease for over a decade whose side effects included breast cancer and pancreatitis. 

Calling hours will be held 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, at the Bossuot-Lundy Funeral Home, Inc., Washington St., Copenhagen. Her funeral will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 27, at the funeral home with Rev. Richard Beaumont, pastor of the River of Life Fellowship, Copenhagen, officiating. Burial will be in the Martinsburg Cemetery at a later date. 

Donations in her memory may be made to the Town Demark Historian, P.O. Box 32, Copenhagen, NY 13626.

She was born Sept. 9, 1953, in Lowville, the daughter of Alice Clemons Beyer VanCour and Leroy Arklas Beyer.

Joanne will fondly be remembered as “The Collector of Strays” by her family. Over the years Joanne has taken in her siblings, nieces, nephews, grand nieces, grand nephews and friends. All this was done, not with an abundance of wealth but with an abundance of love. Joanne’s hospitality will be remembered and missed. She now has the ultimate job as “The Collector of Strays” as she awaits her family and friends to meet her in our Lord’s Embrace.

Joanne worked in a variety of local restaurants including The Village Inn, Black River and the Fort Drum Officers Club. She was an administrative assistant at Jefferson Community College. 

She was proudly the first female firefighter for the Copenhagen Fire Department. As the winner of the U.G.L.Y. Bartender (Understanding, Generous, Lovable, You) contest for three years at the Cottage Inn, she raised over $30,000 for multiple sclerosis. 

She earned her Associate Degree from Jefferson Community College. She was the former Town of Demark historian. Joanne was very active in genealogy and researching local cemeteries. 

She was a member of the River of Life Fellowship Church of Copenhagen. 

Joanne enjoyed computer games and the company of her loving dogs, Cody and Shadow.

Surviving are a daughter, Amber Dawn Beyer and Amber’s fiancé Billy Bryant; three brothers and their wives, Howard "Mitch" and Shirley Beyer, Copenhagen, Lester and Debbie Beyer, Copenhagen, and Carl and Gloria Beyer, New Mexico; three sisters and their husbands, Ethel and Jeff French, Maryland, Judy Beyer Young, Copenhagen, Denise and Dan Young, Copenhagen; nieces and nephews, Tara Lynn Young, Robert Roshia, Elizabeth Roshia Struhl, Bob Kuszio, Christine Kuszio Potaski, Crystal Beyer, Falicity Beyer and Arkulas Beyer; and grand nieces and grand nephews, Alyce Struhl, Alex Rodriguez and Tera Lee Hopper.

She was preceded in death by her mother Alice Louis Clemons Beyer VanCour who passed away in 1999 and her father Leroy Arklas Beyer who passed away in 1961. A nephew, Leroy Benjamin Beyer, died in infancy in 1987. 

Joanne Kay Beyer will be remembered and held firmly in her family’s hearts until she, as “The Collector of Strays”, gathers them up in her loving embrace to meet our Lord. Joanne, you will be missed.





Information provided by Bossuot-Lundy Funeral Home, Inc., and Newzjunky.com, Watertown, N.Y.