Jerry and Linda Butler

Joyce Ann King

Mrs. Joyce Ann King, 76 passed away on October 23, 2019 surrounded by her family. Funeral Services will be conducted at Maple Springs Baptist Church in Mercer on Saturday October 26, 2019 at 12:00 pm Bro. Joe McIntire and Bro. Ron Hale will officiate the service

Mrs. King was born on April 5, 1943 to the late Fieldon and Georgia Moore Bennett. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother and was known for her generosity and kindness. Mrs King was a longtime member of Maple Springs Baptist Church in Mercer.

Other than her parents she was preceded in death to her husband Albert Lee King, 2 sisters; Peggy Sloan and Georgia Mae Bennett.

She is survived by 3 daughters; Teresa Crumby and husband Joey of Savannah, TN, Bonnie Alvarez and Husband Julio of Bolivar, TN, Barbara Smith and husband Richie of Toone, Son; Dewayne King of Toone, Grandchildren; Bethany and Brittany Crumby, Ashley DiAnn Elam, Will and Maddy Prine, a brother; Ted Bennett and a host of other relatives and friends.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 25, 2019 from 5 PM to 9 PM at the north chapel of George a Smith and Sons and will resume on Saturday from 10 AM to 12 PM noon at Maple Springs Baptist Church.

Biography

If anyone ever cared, really cared for someone else it would have to be Joyce Ann King. She was a warm hearted and well liked individual, and these wonderful traits came easily to her because she was such a sociable and amiable person, someone who was always making certain that those around her had whatever they needed. Joyce was a talkative person who was tactful at all times but typically said what she meant.

  Joyce was born on at home in Decaturville Tennessee. She was the daughter of Fielden and Georgia Bennett. Joyce was raised in Jackson Tennessee. During her childhood she learned to be reliable and respectful. Joyce was an obedient child who wanted to win the favor of others. She found it easy to show sympathy and to perform kind acts for others. These admirable qualities would become a part of Joyce's personality throughout her life.  Though Joyce was frequently the one to initiate games and activities with her family, she was also quite often the family member who took the role of referee. Joyce was a peace-maker with an ability to resolve all sorts of family conflicts. In fact, Joyce worked conscientiously to keep those typical family spats at bay. Joyce was raised with three siblings. She had two older sisters, Peggy and Georgia, and one younger brother, Ted. Joyce and her siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up, but they cared deeply for one another.  As someone who reveled in the sheer joy of her experiences, Joyce was always enthusiastic about new adventures. Although she had an exacting nature, Joyce was always tactful. One thing Joyce will certainly be remembered for is that, when she got up in the mornings, she was ready and raring to go. As a young girl, Joyce had a number of interests and was an active child. She was a 4-H member, and participated in home economics. In her spare time she liked cooking, sewing, and helping her dad Joyce's memorable achievements included fair projects, cooking, and making garments.  For Joyce, the school routines were never a problem although she generally preferred variety to structure. She seemed to be able to start a project and work right through to its completion. And she was able to do it quickly and efficiently. Joyce was also adept at details. Joyce was very observant and was generally quick at picking up new things. She graduated from South Side High School in 1961. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was home economics. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Miss Brewer. She was voted most likely to succeed.  There was one thing that all of Joyce's friends knew and will still remember, and that is that she was a talker. She could pretty much talk to anybody about anything. This quality is one of the primary reasons that Joyce was such a popular person throughout her life. But Joyce was also dependable, loyal and trustworthy. Joyce was the kind of person who simply radiated good fellowship. While she maintained personal standards and her own personal values, Joyce was very accepting of others. With a distinct skill for working things out, Joyce was often the person who would organize events. In fact, Joyce was fairly comfortable playing the role of “host” for just about any occasion. When Joyce made friends, she made true and lasting friendships. While growing up, some of her best friends were Lola Carter, Sandra Morgan, Patsy Arnold, and Nell Collins. Later in life, she became friends with Lola Carter and Patsy Arnold.  Joyce was a faithful and loving person. Some would even call her sentimental and a romantic at heart. Her kindness and consideration radiated an aura of warmth to those around her. Joyce cared for what others thought and carried that into her marriage. On June 12, 1964 Joyce married Albert Lee King at Clover Creek Baptist Church of Medon Tennessee. Compassionate and devoted, Joyce worked hard to make her new life partner happy.  Harmony was important to Joyce and she made every effort to maintain it with her family. Joyce was blessed with four children, one son, Dewayne, and three daughters, Teresa, Bonnie, and Barbara. They were also blessed with nine grandchildren, Bethany, Brittany, Jay, Will, Kyle, Abby, Maddy, Riley, and Ashley. Joyce was always conscious of the feelings others had. She was reasonable and understanding. As a result, Joyce was quick to solve disputes and did so without much fuss. Her secret of success in this area was simple: Joyce would listen before she would act.  Taking her work seriously came naturally to Joyce, and she expected the same from those around her. Joyce was a good team player, someone who was born to cooperate with others. She was what some would call a “people person” and it was demonstrated in her good communication skills. Joyce was a steady worker, one who was realistic about schedules. The kind of details that would give family members and work colleagues fits were situations that Joyce handled well. She could understand the details without getting lost in the broad “big picture.” Her primary occupation was homemaker. She was employed for homemaker for 47 years and baby sat for 19 years. She brought harmony to her work environment, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done, while always maintaining respect for her colleagues.  A methodical woman, Joyce enjoyed spending time working on her various hobbies. She had no problem following all of the steps and instructions on a given project and was proud of the fact that she could have something to show for her efforts. Her favorite pursuits were sewing, cooking, and gardening. Her keen interest in things that affected the lives of other people led Joyce to become actively involved in professional and community organizations. Because she was outgoing and worked well with others, Joyce did her fair share of volunteer work. And she wouldn’t shy away from taking the lead on committees or events, either. She was a born list maker and was great at creating and sticking to schedules. In high school, Joyce was a member of the library, home economics, and science. Throughout her later years, Joyce was an active member of the home demonstration, and ruritan. Her high moral standards and traditional values served Joyce well with her faith. Religion and faith were important to her. She was a member of Maple Springs Baptist Church for 54 years. During that time, she was a Senior Adult leader and Sunday School teacher. She was well respected because she was such an outgoing individual who sought to help in any manner she could.  Not only did Joyce enjoy traveling, but she also seemed to enjoy planning all of those trips and vacations. She was a facilitator who could easily make up a near perfect schedule of all of the things to do and see. She rarely tired of going back and revisiting her favorite places. Favorite vacations included Smokey Mountains.  Joyce was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of her favorites was Simmie, a cat, who was a best friend for 7 years. Her family was rounded out by her 5 dogs.  Since it was easy for Joyce to meet and get to know new people, she quickly made friends, even in retirement. Once she met those new friends, she loved sharing stories and talking about the good old days. Since she was practical and cost effective, Joyce was ready when that day to retire finally came in 2008. Her new life involved relocating to Toone Tennessee. In retirement, she found new pleasure in traveling. Even in retirement, Joyce stayed in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities that retirement offered her.  Joyce passed away on October 23, 2019 at Jackson Madison County Hospital. She had cancer 2001-2006, chronic leukemia 2013-2019, lung, oral, throat, and tongue cancer. She is survived by her children, Dewayne, Teresa (Joey), Bonnie (Julio), and Barbara (Richie), her grandchildren, Bethany, Brittany, Will, Jay, Ashley, Kyle, Abby, Maddy, and Riley. Services were held at Maple Springs Baptist Church. Joyce was laid to rest in Vernon Cemetery in Toone Tennessee.  Joyce was a fantastic conversationalist who could engage just about anyone in a discussion. And whenever she said something, she meant it. Joyce was a down to earth person, outgoing and gregarious. She was without question the type of person who enjoyed experiencing things first hand. She was practical and sensible, but what friends and family will remember her for most is the fact that she was so understanding and kind. Everyone whose life she touched will miss Joyce Ann King.