Shirley Joan Winsted was born on April 20, 1928 to Floyd and Vira Winsted in Beaver County, Oklahoma at the maternal grandparents home. She was named by Viras twin sister Vera. Floyd and Vira had moved to Northwest of Santanta, Kansas in 1925 and that was Joans home for the first 18 years. Joan began school at Busy Hill school Northwest of Santanta. She then attended High School at Santanta High School staing with her aunt and uncle in Santanta. She graduated from Santanta High School in 1946. Joan met and dated Roy Carroll, a neighbor at the time and they were married on July 22, 1946 in Scott City, Kansas at the Methodist Church Parsonage. Their first home was west of Johnson, Kansas then they moved to their present home northwest of Cheyenne Wells in 1947.


On January 23, 1948 their first son Michael Allen was born in Garden City. Kansas. Mitchell Wynn was born on November 3, 1950 in Burlington, CO. Through the years Joan played the piano or organ for church, weddings, and funerals. She was a charter member of the Old Wells Extension Club and belonged to Mary Circle of W.S.C.S. She and Roy belonged to Young Farmers and Home Makers. They were life members of the Eastern Colorado Historical Society.


Joan worked faithfully beside Roy, working cattle, running the tractor, driving a wheat truck or silage truck or anything else that needed to be done. Joan was a genealogist at heart and spent lots of time researching all family lines especially the Winsted and Carroll lines. In later years, Joan researched family stories about pioneering homesteaders in the area. She had written about 70 stories many of church were published in The Range Ledger. Most of the stories were copied into 3 ring binders and donated to the City Library and Museum.


Joan became a resident of Grace Manor Care Center in Burlington, CO in August of 2005. She passed away there on July 7, 2009. She is preceded in death by her parents Floyd and Vira and two brothers in law, Russell and Jack. She is survived by her husband Roy, two sons Mike (Pam) Carroll and Mitch (Rebecca) Carroll, four grandsons and one granddaughter and three great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.


Funeral services were held on Monday, July 13, 2009 at the Cheyenne Wells Christian Church with Pastor Mike Lewis officiating. Kelly Beek and George Kemp served as vocalists, accompanied by Marilyn Boswell. Casketbearers were: Greg Carroll, Neal Carroll, Joel Carroll, Doug Carroll, John Blakie and Dylan Dickey. Final committal services were held at the Fairview Cemetery in Cheyenne Wells. Memorial contributions can be made to the Eastern Colorado Historical Society. Friends and family can register online condolences and sign the guest book at www.brownfuneraldirectors.com. Visitation and funeral services were entrusted to the care of the Brown Funeral Home in Cheyenne Wells, CO.