Melva "Joyce" Hinkle

Melva “Joyce” Hinkle, age 92, was born in Barnett, Missouri on December 17, 1931 to Melvin and Clara Schad and she died March 8, 2024 in Kansas City, Kansas after a recent battle with health complications. For the last 3 years, she has been a resident at Life Care Center of Osawatomie. Prior to this time, Joyce lived in rural Louisburg, Kansas for 50 years.

Joyce was one of four children (Wallace, Jimmy and Mary) and, in recent months, she especially enjoyed looking at pictures of all her family. Her family attended Hopewell Church growing up. As a teenager, Joyce received Christ as her Lord and Savior at an Assembly of God youth camp. After that pivotal experience, her faith in God was a very important part of her life. She is in heaven now.

Upon her high school graduation, she worked at a jacket factory in California, Missouri and saved money to go to Wright Business School. Upon graduation, she worked at George D. Heath Company as a secretary until her marriage to Claude Henry Hinkle Jr. on August 20, 1953. They were married 58 years. Claude proposed to her at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri and they had their honeymoon in Niagara Falls, New York. After their marriage, they lived in Missouri near family for a time as well as lived in Nahant, Massachusetts while her husband was in the army. She worked as a secretary to help supplement their income.

They moved to Kansas City, Missouri and started their family. Joyce and Claude had 5 children (Melody, Barry, Steven, Claude Henry III and John). They lived in Garden City, Missouri, Paola, Kansas and then rural Louisburg, Kansas as their children grew. When her children were growing up, Joyce devoted herself to her family as a homemaker. After her children graduated from high school, Joyce worked over 20 years at Lake Mary Center in Paola, Kansas and cared for children there. Upon her retirement, she lived in rural Louisburg until 2021 when she moved to Osawatomie, Kansas.

Joyce played the accordion and piano as a young woman and loved to sing (especially hymns with her sister, Mary). In her later years of life, she loved watching Christian TV and her Saturday night routine was to watch the Gaither Gospel Hour. One Saturday night, some of her grandchildren were visiting and talking about the different types of music they enjoyed. Joyce pointed to the Gaither singing group and said, “Now, that’s my kind of music”.

Joyce Hinkle loved her family and was especially devoted to her children. She had the most beautiful smile. It made you feel happy when she smiled at you. She will be missed.

Melva “Joyce” Hinkle was preceded in death by her husband, Claude Henry Hinkle Jr. and her son, Claude Henry Hinkle III and her granddaughter, Anna, as well as her parents, sister and two brothers. Joyce is survived by her daughter: Melody Moore (Harold) and grandchildren Caleb, Jenny, Jessy and Joshua; and her sons: Barry Hinkle (Linda) and grandchildren Michelle, Kevin, Jeremy and Chris; Steven Hinkle (Lisa) and grandchildren Stephanie, Shannon and Ondrea; and John Hinkle (Jamie) and grandchildren Steven, Kara, Sarah, Cole and Lily as well as numerous great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Joyce’s celebration of life will be on Saturday, March 16, 2024 (11 am) at:

Dengel and Son Mortuary, 1 Aquatic Drive, Louisburg KS 66053.

Visitation will be held prior to the service at 10 am.

The family requests that any donations in Joyce Hinkle’s memory should be directed to:

Compass Christian Academy, 1402 E. 303rd Street, Paola, KS 66071. c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary-305 N Pearl St., Paola, Kansas 66071.

https://www.compasschristianacademy.org