Brenda Joyce (Lawson) Scheurer

Brenda Joyce Scheurer, 83, of Golden Valley, ND passed away Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at Knife River Care Center, Beulah, ND. Services will be held at 10:00 AM CT on Monday, April 14, 2025 at Prairie View Church of God, Beulah with Pastor Vernon Van Deventer and Pastor Brian Filibeck officiating. Burial will follow at Hope Congregational Cemetery, Golden Valley.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Sunday, April 13 at Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah.

Brenda Joyce (Lawson) Scheurer was born March 7, 1942 in Forrest City, AR or in a shack in Haynes, AR (she was not sure the exact location) to Myrtle (Melton) and Luther Lawson. She was the sixth of seventh children. Joyce was raised in Arkansas and Mississippi. The majority of her childhood years were spent in a little house on Eshman Avenue with her siblings Glenda and Leon.  A defining time in Joyce’s life was learning about Jesus. Her aunt, Mae took Joyce and Leon to church and her relationship with Christ shaped the rest of her life. She graduated high school in West Point, MS.  She then attended the Memphis School of Commerce. After graduation she worked at First National Bank in West Point, MS. During these years she enjoyed spending time with her family and had a special bond with her nieces Melinda, Anita, and Janet. She enjoyed taking them on small adventures. (Later when raising her own children, Liz wondered why those girls got to have so much fun and we just had to stay home!!!) Joyce later moved to Cleveland, TN and attended Bible School. There she worked for the White Wing Publishing House for seven years. While working there, her good friend DeeAnn Scheurer introduced her to Murphy Scheurer.

Joyce and Murphy were married in October 1975 and moved to North Dakota. It was quite a culture shock from living in the south. She said "These people are like twenty years behind.” She could not believe that some of the women still used ringer washing machines and people pumped their own water. The main street in Golden Valley was not even paved! She was not thrilled to live on a farm and being unfamiliar with the stubborn nature of the German ND farmers, she actually thought she could get Murphy to move. (For those of you locals reading this you can appreciate how ridiculous and impossible her thinking was)  After North Dakota became her home she said; "They are some of the most wonderful people in the world".  After accepting her fate of life in rural ND, Joyce shared about friendships and events and raising her children over the years. She said, “We don’t know what God has planned or what He is doing.  When people here befriended me, I think it is the hand of God.”

Murphy and Joyce made a life on the family farm just outside of Golden Valley and welcomed three children; Krista, James and Elizabeth. Joyce was the cook and caretaker of her family. She would feed anyone who came by and usually had sweet tea available for the neighbors.  Right before Murphy passed they moved to town, where Joyce loved to spoil her grandchildren; Hudson, Jurzee and Scarlett. The grandchildren have been her pride and joy, receiving whatever they wanted.

 Joyce is survived by her children: one son and daughter-in-law, James and Samantha Scheurer of Golden Valley, ND and two daughters, Krista Thomas (fiance' Jake Scherr) of Golden Valley, ND and Elizabeth Scheurer of Bismarck, ND; three grandchildren, Hudson, Jurzee and Scarlett Scheurer; one grand-dog, Lola; one sister, Glenda Redmond of Strarkville, MS; and one brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and Carolyn Lawson of Brandon, MS.

 She was preceded in death by her husband, Murphy; her parents; and four brothers, Charles, Wayne, Wiley and Leon Lawson.

Arrangements are conducted by Barbot Funeral Home, Beulah and Hazen.

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