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Joyce Elaine Jordan Snell, age 95, of Elgin, passed away peacefully Dec. 8, 2023, at home.
Joyce was born Aug. 28, 1928, in Alexandria, Louisiana, to Edward Jordan and Audrey Griffith Jordan as the fourth of 10 children.
Joyce attended Tioga High School graduating as valedictorian in 1945. She soon moved to Houston, to attend Elliott Business College on scholarship.
Joyce was raised during the hardship of the Great Depression along with her six brothers and three sisters. The siblings were Madelaine, Ed, Bob, Joyce, James, Marvin, Billy Jack, Fred (Gibby), Beth and Diane. Sadly, she lost her younger brother, James, when she was seven and he was four, and later in her 20s she lost her younger brother, Billy Jack, to a tragic plane crash.
She grew up on Cemetery Road next to her beloved white steeple church, Tioga Baptist, where she began her love of gospel hymns. She also loved waking early to run barefoot through the wet grass along the cemetery, often climbing on the roof of her house to watch the sunrise.
After business school, Joyce joined the secretarial pool at SOHIO, where she met her new best friend, new roommate and future sister-in-law, Ella Lois Snell. Ella Lois and her mother, Lois, arranged for Joyce to meet Ella Lois’s handsome older brother, John Snell during his leave from the Merchant Marines. Joyce and John dated and soon married Nov. 5, 1949, and settled in Houston for the next 45 years.
A few years after their wedding, Joyce became an executive secretary for Anderson, Clayton Cotton Company in downtown Houston and enjoyed many years with a remarkable boss, Wylie Briscoe. He and his wife had no children, and became her family’s benefactor. Upon Briscoe’s retirement, Joyce left downtown Houston to become the local school secretary at Scarborough Elementary around the corner from her house, working as a dedicated trio with Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Crabtree and an outstanding teaching staff, including Majorie Pollock, Christine Honeycutt, Mrs. Layton, Mrs. Hare and Mr. Ellison.
When Mrs. Watson retired, Joyce moved to Allen Elementary, where she met her good friend and new boss, Principal Ernestine Mitchell, who was one of the first women of color to become principal in the Houston Independent School District. Mrs. Mitchell, Joyce and dear friend, Delores Barfield, became the new power trio serving their talented staff of teachers. Joyce took great delight in setting up a young teacher, Diane Cunningham, with her future husband, Beau Wann.
At Beau’s funeral two years ago, Joyce was deeply moved to be recognized and honored as their matchmaker 38 years earlier. Joyce and Mrs. Mitchell eventually retired together in a dual retirement ceremony, where Joyce was selected to receive the first ever Houston ISD Employee Recognition award. To the end, Joyce and Mrs. Mitchell have remained adoring pen pals.
In their early married years, Joyce and John had six children born in girl-boy order — Suzy, Bill, Kathy, Fred, Vanna and Rex. Joyce did an amazing job of juggling the needs and activities of six children while working full time. She was amazing on camping and hiking trips out west with a family of eight.
She attended Heights Church of Christ, then moved and attended North Houston Church of Christ then Lindale Church of Christ. They became runners and cyclists, participating in local runs around the Houston area. After Joyce and John retired, they enjoyed years of cross-country travel, relishing scenic wonders and visiting their 13 grandchildren.
During their early days of retirement, they left Houston for the country and spent some of their best years on their farm in Lovelady, enjoying special cousins, Grover and Bobby Ham.
John became ill and Joyce tended to him until he required a care facility in Crockett. She was there every day to lift his spirits, meanwhile she continued to remain active with Grace Street Church of Christ, the Weldon Civic Club and the Historic group of Lovelady, serving as a library volunteer, precinct judge, baking cakes for a charity group, visiting nursing homes and serving as an officer in the local Republican Women’s group. She then moved to Morningstar Ranch owned by dear church friends, Bob and Gracie Bryant, so that she could be near the care facility.
After John’s death, Joyce moved to her haven of joy in Elgin, where she found Elgin Church of Christ and met the wonderful people of the church and the community and made close ties with a world of new girlfriends like our sweet Adele Sanders, Rosemary Meredith, Boots McGuire and others near and dear to her. She experienced a burst of activities in Elgin with Garden Club, Primetimers, Methodist Exercise group, Coffee Club, Senior Citizen luncheon group, and the fabulous football games and basketball games her local grandchildren kept her involved in.
A beautiful thank you to the Don and Sandra Wernli family who embraced her into their family and included her in their many activities over the years.
Those who knew Joyce knew that she was an avid reader from childhood on and continued the love of history, biography, fiction and nonfiction to the end. In her last years, she discovered the inspirational historical fiction of Lorraine Snelling and attempted to read all her works. Joyce’s final favorite book, one she was rereading for the fifth time, was “The Dog that Whispered,” by Jim Kraus, a book of warmth and wonder and spiritual impact that she urged everyone she met to read.
Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, sister Madelaine Jordan Bush; and five brothers, Ed, Bob, James, Marvin and Billy Jack. She was also preceded in death by her husband, John in 2008; his parents, Lois and Byron Snell; three dear brothers-in-law; and by seven dear sisters-in-law.
Joyce is survived by her brother, Fred (Gibby); sisters, Beth Jordan Scaife (husband, Don Scaife) and Diane Jordan Willis; sisterin- law, Ella Lois Snell Allen; six children, Kyle Suzanne Snell George (husband Reagan George), William Byron Snell, Kathy Lynn Snell Williams (husband Craig Williams), Frederick Eugene Snell (wife Mary George Snell), Vanna Elizabeth Snell Fillion (husband Jim Fillion) and Rex Edward Snell (wife Deanna Wernli Snell); honorary daughter, Sharon Olive Thompson; 13 grandchildren, Audrey Williams Crabtree (husband Paul Crabtree), Brock Williams (wife Elizabeth Cramblett Williams), Josh Snell (fiancée Leah Murphy), Thomas Heagy (wife Ann Joo Heagy), John Allen George (wife Rebekah Beelman George), Tim Snell (wife Tara Frost Snell), Jordan Heagy (wife Rikki Sousley Heagy), Kathleen Snell Matlock (husband Bubba Matlock), Jennifer George Benjamin (husband Dylan Benjamin), Sydney Snell Payne (husband Josh Payne), Savannah Fillion Clark (husband Joe Clark), Colin Snell (wife Briana Quinonez Snell), and Kyle Snell; great grandchildren, Zadie, Ruby and Knox Crabtree, Stone, Elsie and Tripp Williams, Tommy Heagy, Tristan and Oliver Snell, Sean and Preston Frost, Kennedy and Layla (Heagy), Sadie Strength (Matlock), Everett Payne, new Baby Payne on the way, Baby Benjamin on the way.
A celebration of life was held Saturday, Dec. 16, at 1 p.m. at Elgin Church of Christ. Inurnment will be held at a later date at Evergreen Cemetery.
Arrangements entrusted to Providence-Jones Family Funeral Home.
