Joy White

BROWNWOOD, Mo. -- Joy Lee Shirrell White, 87, peacefully passed away Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, surrounded by her loving family at her home in Brownwood.

She was born July 11, 1934, in Arab, Missouri, to Delbert and Pauline Bain Shirrell. Her siblings were Ruby Deckard, Kenneth Shirrell and the Rev. James Shirrell, and she is survived by Patsy Slocum of Puxico, Missouri.

Joy was united in marriage to James Henry White on Oct. 15, 1960. He preceded her in death April 19, 2015.

JOY...A small word that means so much to her family. They love it! They share it! They believe it! They choose it! Joy was a spectacular woman who lived an amazing life, surrounded by the love of her family. She was the inspiration of her family, along with many others. Not everyone is blessed enough to think their mom hung the moon and the stars, but Joy's is. They lovingly say Mom was as tough as woodpecker lips, which she proved time and time again.

Mom loved to spend her time quilting, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing dominoes, Phase 10 and Skip-Bo (which she won the majority of games), playing her favorite slots at casinos, and making her famous chicken and dumplings. She went on several cruises, taking her to places she never dreamed of visiting, such as Cozumel, Cancun, Progreso, Jamaica, Grand Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Aruba, Curacao and Saint Kitts. She loved to travel and was a regular attendee at the Mudbug Festival in Shreveport, Louisiana, every year since 2011.

Loving children include three daughters, Deborah Kay Shirrell (Art) Crump of San Antonio, Texas; Kimberly Sue White Talley of Arlington, Texas; and Pamela June White Welker of Advance, Missouri; and two sons, Edward Ray (Ruth) White and Jamie Lee White, both of Advance.

Loving grandkids include Joshua (Helen) Crump, Justin Crump and Tasha (Dee) Crump Wade, Jody (Amy) Talley, Travis Talley, Patricia Welker, Jacob (Christie) Welker and William Welker.

Loving great-grandkids include Kaden, Kameron, Lilly, Connor, Jackson Fox, Kymber, Wesley, Jackson Matthew, Marcus, Matthew, Mandie, Jonathon and Ayla.

She leaves behind a host of loving family members, friends and community members.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday at Morgan Funeral Homen in Advance.

Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Kevin Hawkins officiating. Burial will follow at the Brownwood Cemetery in Brownwood.

Jody Talley, Justin Crump, Jacob Welker, Bill Welker, Aaron Hawkins and Austin Hawkins will honor her as pallbearers.

The family would like to give a special thank you to Saint Francis Medical Center Hospice nurses Sonia, Linda, Margie and Kim for their love and support; Kaci and staff at Morgan Funeral Home and Dianna Caby, Mom's front porch buddy, confidante and special caregiver.

Joy...We shall carry on her legacy with love, honor and grace. We love you, Mom.