Joyce Ann (Starnes) Mathews, age 81, of Cassville, Missouri, passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, July 30, 2023, after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer’s Disease. Joyce, daughter of Charles Aaron and Wanda (Webb) Starnes, was born on August 27, 1941, in Sand Springs, Oklahoma.
Joyce will be forever grateful to youth sponsors Lochiell and Clarence Blevins who helped introduce her to the Lord. They picked up kids until their old station wagon was full. There were several baptisms all in a row from this group, and Joyce was one of them in 1955, at the Church of Christ. Joyce graduated from Charles Page High School in Sand Springs, Oklahoma in 1959.
She married Jerry Watley on October 10, 1959, in Sand Springs, Oklahoma. Joyce loved her family fiercely. Together they had three daughters who survive; Cynthia “Cindy” Kay Buntin (Jared); Catherine “Cathy” Ann Nunley (Larry); and Janet Lynn Boys (John) all of Cassville, Missouri. Also surviving is one sister-in-law Jessie Starnes of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She is also survived by ten grandchildren; Caleb, Jeremiah, Amanda, Sarah, Michael, Mary Elizabeth, LeAnn, Stephen, Andrew, and Abigail; and numerous great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren.
Joyce moved to Cassville in 1972, with her husband to start Able 2 Products. When her children were older, she worked at Johnston’s for one year and then worked at South Barry County Hospital starting in 1977. She worked there for 35 years. In 1999, she was named Employee of the year. Her work colleagues were like another family to her, and she enjoyed the time spent with Zeta, Sheri, Linda, Ina, Anne, Neva, and Pat among many others. She had friends in every department! They spent many fun filled days traveling and working together. Joyce’s favorite motto was, “Go everywhere, see and do everything you can before you can’t anymore”.
She married Lloyd Allen “Al” Mathews on May 16, 1980, in Miami, Oklahoma; he preceded her in death on April 10, 2002. They spent many years together camping, traveling, and showing off the Studebaker at local car events.
Joyce enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren at their numerous sporting events and programs, cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, shopping on Thanksgiving Black Friday (from dawn to dusk with matching shirts), traveling with her daughters and her grandchildren, and watching NCIS and Murder She Wrote on television.
Joyce was a member of the First Baptist Church, Cassville, Missouri since 1973. She enjoyed helping in all the church ministries including the Good News Club, the senior exercise class, and the Ruth Thompson Sunday School class where she was proud to be their secretary. She enjoyed listening to praise music and classic hymns and reading the Word of God.
Although her body was succumbing to Alzheimer’s Disease, Joyce never lost her faith in God and His Church. Her favorite verse, Psalm 121 was posted above her family room picture window overlooking God’s beauty. “I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord”.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Billy Starnes, and her granddaughter-in-law, Tracy Buntin.
Visitation for family and friends was held on Wednesday, August 2nd from 5:00-7:00 pm at White Funeral Home and Crematory, Cassville, Missouri.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Cornerstone Women’s Prison Ministry and the Cassville Intermediate School backpack program in care of White Funeral Home.
PAID OBITUARY
