Joyce L. Gillespie

for Joyce L. Gillespie, D.H.L. Joyce Lucille Harding was born on a farm near Corunna, IN, in 1915, to Forrest C. and Mary Harding. She had one sibling - an older brother, Dale. The family belonged to a little rural Lutheran Church. Joyce accepted Christ as her Savior and Lord at an early age in a service at this church, and grew in her love for the Lord as the years came and went. Joyce graduated from Kendallville, IN, High School, in 1932. In 1933 she began working as a house maid in Auburn, IN. It was during this time that Joyce met George at the Auburn Church of the Nazarene. 1934 and 1935 were years that Joyce and George developed their love for each other and on a rainy Saturday night, June 6, 1936, they were married in the Pastor"s home. The first three years of married life were not easy for them " it was during the depression. They lived in Eastern Ohio and back again to Auburn, Indiana. Their first son, Joseph, was born in Auburn, in 1939. In late 1940 George and Joyce moved to their first pastorate Arbor Vitae, in Northern Wisconsin. In 1942, their second son, James, was born. Since there was no hospital in the area, and since the family actually lived in the Arbor Vitae church building, when Jim was born they proudly proclaimed that he was born "in church" (not during church). Later in 1942, George and Joyce moved to a new parish in Eau Claire, WI. Once again, the pastor and his family lived in the church building, in separate quarters from the church auditorium. In 1944, the family moved to East Chicago, IN, to build a new church building. Their next pastorate was in Union City, IN, starting in 1948. By 1952, Rev. Gillespie entered full-time evangelism which, at that time, meant conducting evangelistic services in various churches for up to two weeks at a time. Joyce and the two boys traveled with George and the four were a musical team. This required the family to be on the road all the time, all over the United States. They continued this ministry throughout the school years by choosing a hub-city base whereby the boys could attend and graduate from public schools. The boys went to a different school every year until they separately graduated from high school. In 1967 George and Joyce moved to Indianapolis where they lived for more than thirty years. During those years George became President of Indiana Christian University, in Indianapolis. This involved Joyce as well, with trips to many places in the U. S. as well as the Orient. The Board of Regents saw the faithfulness of Joyce"s support of her husband, whether travelling, working in the Office of the University or tutoring individuals. Therefore, on May 1, 1982, the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters was conferred on Joyce by Indiana Christian University"s Board of Regents. In the early 1990"s Joyce began to loose her eye-sight due to macular degeneration. This incapacitated her from doing the things she loved to do " namely serve and help others. As her health failed she and George moved to Paola, KS, in 2002 to be under the special care of her son, Joe. After her husband"s death in 2006, Joyce moved to an assisted living facility, Country Club Estates. This was her home until September 18, 2008. Joyce was loved by those whom she lived with in the Assisted Living and in the apartments where she lived and in the neighborhood around her home in Indianapolis. She has always been known for her love of her Savior, Jesus Christ. She spent her lifetime in the ministry of serving others in one way or another as a Pastor"s wife, Evangelist"s wife and University President"s wife. Even in her latter days, everyone remarked about her love of her Savior and Lord. "Her smile was contagious," one of her friends said of her. That was universally true all the days of her life. Survivors include her sons, Joseph E. Gillespie, of Paola, Kansas, and James E. Gillespie, of Indianapolis, Indiana, and their wives; 6 grandchildren and their spouses; 15 great grandchildren; an extended family of great, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and many friends, all of whom will miss her greatly. A Memorial Service will be conducted at Evergreen Events Sunday, October 5, at 2:30pm. Interment will be in the Corunna, IN, Cemetery. Memorial gifts may be given to the Gideons International for continued distribution of the Word of God. Evergreen Events Bld. Southside Paola Park Square Service: Sunday, October 05, 2008 2:30 PM Visitation: No Visitation