Joy C. Duren
COLUMBIA — Kerri Burrows thought her grandmother Joy C. Duren was the quintessential 1950s homemaker.
Burrows said her grandmother was an excellent cook who had a "special affection for dessert" — so much in fact, that her family is planning to have ice cream at the service.
"I don’t ever remember having a meal with her in which we did not have dessert afterward," Burrows said.
Joy Duren, of Columbia, died Tuesday, April 19, 2011, of cancer. She was 80.
She was born March 13, 1931, in Howard County, to Richard and Opal (Hughes) Copeland.
She married Bill J. Duren in 1950, and they lived in Columbia for their entire adult lives. Mr. Duren worked in the local grocery retail industry.
"I think that she was madly in love with her husband," Burrows said. "Since the day that he died, she has been looking forward to seeing him again. That doesn’t mean that she ever stopped living her life here, but it meant that she always had a plan for what would happen afterward."
Mrs. Duren was a member at the First Christian Church for many years. During the past 10 years, she was also active at the Columbia Area Senior Center, where she managed the craft room.
"She was really very much into colors and how they made you feel and how they made you look better," Burrows said.
When she was little, Burrows remembers going to her grandmother's house and seeing the color swatches she used as an Amway representative to match makeup to a woman's complexion. The swatches were organized by color and season; Burrows said her grandmother told her red was her best color.
Burrows said that her grandmother, a persistent planner, had explicit directions for her service. Not only did she have the songs and sermon selected, but she also wanted to make sure she had a casket with an iridescent purple hue.
"In looking through her belongings, my sister and I have found many little notes from her," Burrows said. "I'm sure she'll be speaking to us through these snippets of love for a long time to come."
Mrs. Duren is survived by one son, Steve Duren of Columbia; two granddaughters, Heather Stubbs of Columbia and Kerri Burrows of Whiteman Air Force Base; and two great-granddaughters, Ainsley Stubbs and Annabelle Burrows.
Her husband, Bill Duren, and daughter, Sondra J. Duren, died earlier.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at First Christian Church, 101 N. Tenth St. The family requests that guests wear purple to the service to celebrate her life and love of the color.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the Sondra J. Duren Memorial Scholarship c/o Columbia College, 1001 Rogers St., Columbia Mo., 65216 or to the First Christian Church.
