May Joy Miller

May Joy Miller (Joyce Jones), 84, died peacefully on May 6, 2018 surrounded by her family at the Presbyterian Home and Retirement Community.

May Joy was born in Paris, Texas, on Nov. 8, 1933, the daughter of Ernest Franklin Parker and Alma Inez Bolton Parker.  She married Charles J. Miller on Aug. 27, 1949.  She is survived by their five children:  Carol Charlwood (Bill Charlwood) of Columbia, South Carolina; Linda Greenwald (Jeff Greenwald) of Emmaus, Pennsylvania; Charles W. Miller (Doreen Miller) of Rockwall, Texas; Thomas Miller (Debora Miller) of Taylorsville, North Carolina; Patricia Miller (Carol Stiles), of Quitman, Georgia.  She is also survived by two brothers, Ray Parker (Thalia Parker) of Houston, Texas, and Larry Parker (Donna Parker) of Camino, California, seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren as well as nieces, nephews and a cousin.

Following the death of her first husband, she moved to Quitman to live with her daughter. There she met E.B. Jones and married him on  Jan. 24, 2004.   She is survived by his children, Terri Stevens and Randy Jones, as well as members of his extended family.  She is predeceased by her parents, her husbands, sister Ruth Rose and brother Floyd Parker.

May Joy loved cats, crocheting and church life.  She was an active member of the Quitman Church of Christ as well as a beloved member of the Presbyterian Home Community.  She was an animal lover, often seen feeding the ducks, fish and turtles at the Presbyterian Home. She gave of her time, energy and heart to help her neighbors, especially those left infirmed by age and disease.

After her youngest child entered school, she taught herself to type and embarked on a career in the Civil Service and ended her working life as an administrative assistant at the Karnack Independent School System in Texas.  She and her husband retired to Marshall, Texas.

May Joy was intelligent, loving and compassionate.  She loved learning and square dancing. She will be missed by all who knew her.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 10, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the Quitman Church of Christ with Minister J. T. Brown officiating.  The family will be receiving friends Wednesday afternoon from 5-7 p.m. Maxwell-Purvis Funeral Home in Quitman. Interment will be Saturday at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Marshall, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Bethany Hospice or the Presbyterian Home.  

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