My Name Is … Joyce Nelson

Women of the west

I volunteer with the Legendary Ladies, which is a volunteer organization based in Golden. We are a nonprofit performance group. Our mission is to educate people about women of the West.

We perform at historical museums, libraries, conventions, senior centers, teas and corporations all over Colorado.

We perform as often as we get asked. Normally, we do 12-20 a year, but this is a banner year for us with 43 scheduled shows.

A love for history

I saw them performing “The Parlor House” at Clear Creek History Park in 1997, and it looked like they were having fun so I signed up.

I’ve been with the group for 18 years.

We have members from all over — as far south as Colorado Springs, and as far north as Greeley. We have 16 members but we’re always looking for more women who love history. All ages are welcome.

I like the camaraderie. I love sharing the history with others, and I love doing the research into the historical women.

Honoring the women of the past

We get to share and honor women from history who are often forgotten. But some are well-known, such as Amelia Earhart.

A forgotten woman is Lola Montez. She happens to be my favorite. She was an entertainer and dancer at the height of her notoriety, which was 1853. She was the best-known woman in the world, after Queen Victoria. And nobody knows about her today.

An inclusive community

I’m retired. I dispatched for the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office for about 10 years, and worked as an admin with them for 15 years.

My husband, Bob, retired from Coors, and when we got married, I moved to Golden.

I’ve lived in Golden for 21 years. I love Golden’s walkability, and the way they have marketed the town has made it flourish. It’s very community-oriented and very inclusive to all.

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