Pleasant Prairie invites the community to a public memorial service that is being held on Saturday, June 19, at 10:30 a.m. to celebrate the installation of the Joyce Westerman Memorial. The public event will occur along Park Drive in Prairie Springs Park between the north baseball diamonds, #2 and #3. The memorial will include a bench and plaque memorial. Parking for the event is available on the north side of the park.
The memorial is being funded and installed by family and private donations. Joyce had a great interest in baseball and, during the depression, played ball for the AAGPBL (All-American Girls’ Professional Baseball League).
Joyce Westerman was born in Pleasant Prairie in 1925 and grew up on the Clausen-Hill farm, where Lake Andrea resides today. In her eight seasons with the AAGPBL, Joyce had 345 hits (33 doubles and 14 triples) for a .228 batting average. She scored 191 runs, stole 81 bases, drew 292 walks, and drove in 167 runs. In 1988, Joyce and other AAGPBL players became recognized in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The league was also honored in the 1991 movie “A League of Their Own,” where Joyce participated in the film with forty-eight other AAGPLB baseball players. After her professional baseball career, Joyce continued her love for baseball by playing in local city and county softball leagues. She was a pioneer and inspiration to all women in sports.
Joyce Westerman passed away peacefully on January 18, 2021, at the age of 95, at home with her family by her side. Prairie Springs Park is located along County Highway H (88th Avenue) and State Highway 165. The park is open from sunrise to sunset.