Joyce Seesing

Joyce Kirkland Seesing, 90, of Cape Girardeau died Wednesday, March 14, 2012, at the Lutheran Home.

She was born Oct. 13, 1921, in Waco, Texas, to Lewis Vernon and Sally Pearl Pennington Kirkland. She and John T. Seesing were married Nov. 15, 1947, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Waco. He preceded her Oct. 28, 2010.

Joyce graduated from Waco High in 1939. She went to work as an operator for Bell Telephone in the 1940s. She met J.T., who was a young Army Air Corps flight cadet. They married and then moved to Cape Girardeau and started a family. Over the next 26 years she acted as a consultant to J.T. at Cape Central Airways.

After the sale of Cape Central, she and J.T. worked together at Seesing Aviation Insurance into the 1990s. In addition to the insurance company, she was also a partner and bookkeeper for West Park Travel and volunteered as a secretary at St. Mary Cathedral in her spare time.

Joyce was a dedicated mother. She loved God, her husband and her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. She was a den mother and Girl Scout leader. She worked tirelessly to ensure each child was at the right function at the right time in the right clean uniform. She was the chief cook and bottle washer and instilled a true sense of duty and honor in family.

She was a dedicated member of St. Mary Cathedral 65 years.

Survivors include four sons, Paul "Chip" and wife Debbie of Cape Girardeau, David and wife Pat of China Spring, Texas, Gary and wife Margaret of Prairie Village, Kan., Mark and wife Elizabeth of Cape Girardeau; two daughters, Jean and husband Lester "Skip" Harris and Betty and husband Tim Roth of Cape Girardeau; a sister-in-law, Jane Kirkland of Dallas; a brother-in-law, Tom Elfrink of Leopold, Mo.; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and a very dear friend of more than 60 years, Mrs. Ruth Evans.

She was preceded in death by her husband, J.T., of 62 years; her parents; and two brothers, Cecil Kirkland, who died piloting a B-24 during World War II, and Jack Kirkland.

Friends may call 4 to 8 p.m. today at Ford and Sons Sprigg Street Funeral Home. Parish prayers will be at 7, followed by the rosary.

Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary Cathedral, with the Rev. Tom Kiefer officiating. Burial will be in Cape County Memorial Park.

Memorial contributions may be given to Friends of the Cape Girardeau Public Library, 711 N. Clark Ave., Cape Girardeau, MO 63701, or St. Mary Cathedral Building on Faith Fund, 615 William St., Cape Girardeau, MO 63703.

Online condolences may be made at www.fordandsonsfuneralhome.com.