Joyce Carleen Simmons, 83, of Litchfield, died unexpectedly on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2025.
Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m. noon on Tuesday, Dec. 2, at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Burial will follow in Edgewood Cemetery in Litchfield. Visitation will be at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of service.
Mrs. Simmons was born in Pana on May 31, 1942, a daughter of Carl Cornelius and Lucille Romelta (Miller) Brakenhoff. She was a member of the Litchfield High School graduating class of 1960.
She married Raymond “Larry” Simmons on June 6, 1965, at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield, and they enjoyed nearly 55 years of marriage until his passing on Jan. 23, 2022.
Mrs. Simmons was an excellent cook and well known for her beef and noodles, Texas cake and stew. Mrs. Simmons’ delicious cooking skills were evident during her 22-year career as manager of Jubelt’s Variety Bakery in Litchfield and as a ten-year cafeteria worker for the Litchfield Community School District #12.
Mrs. Simmons also enjoyed gardening, canning, tending to her fruit trees, and sewing. She enjoyed serving others by teaching Sunday School at Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield and volunteering for the local Meals on Wheels.
Mrs. Simmons is survived by her sons, Raymond (Vicki) Simmons of Evansville, IN, and David (Jacqueline) Simmons of Haymarket, VA; daughter, Laura Simmons of Edwardsville; brothers, Leslie (Sue) Brakenhoff of Litchfield, Byron (Terry) Brakenhoff of Chattanooga, TN, and Dale (Nancy) Brakenhoff of Litchfield; sisters Ramona Warman of Charleston and Marilyn (Don) Loptien of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren, Zachary Simmons, Makenzie (Jeremy) Frazier, Emma Simmons and William Simmons; and great-grandchildren, Gunnar, Wyatt, Eli and Calla.
Mrs. Simmons was preceded in death by her parents;husband; brothers, the Rev. Larry Brakenhoff and Bernard Brakenhoff; brother-in-law Robert “Bob” Warman; and niece, Kimberly (Brakenhoff) Bergman.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Lutheran Hour Ministries, 660 Mason Ridge Center Road, St. Louis, MO, 63141-8557. Plummer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. To leave an online condolence or for directions, please visit www.plummerfuneralservices.com.
