My heart aches for each of you and I want you to know that you are in my thoughts.  Losing both your Mom and Dad leaves an emptiness which no can ever fill.  I know... because both my parents (your aunt and uncle) passed away within 3 years of each other and I still miss them everyday.  

As you know, Joyce was like a sister to me and each of you kids seem like my nieces and nephew instead of cousins.  Your Mom and I were born three months apart.  She was 3 months old and I was 6 months old in the photo that you added to the photo gallery.  

I have many precious memories of your Mom... and some of them that I thought I would share with you.  Just to name a few....

When we were little girls, your Mom and I used to sit on the swing at Aunt Gustine's house and sing gospel songs for hours.... such as "So Let the Son Shine in.... Face it with a grin... Open up your heart and Let the Son Shine in".  I can still hear her voice.

We didn't have TV back then.... so we had to make up our own games.  Joyce, Richard and me would take 5 orange crates and set them out on the lawn under a big tree.  We made an aisle way by placing 2 crates sideways on each side....  which represented pews in church.  I took the 5th crate and stood it up long ways to represent a pulpit.  We would take our little Bibles out.  I was the preacher and the two of them were the congregation.  We had song service and while I was preaching.... your Mom and Richard would jump up and down shouting, praising the Lord, yelling "Amen"  and sometimes..... they would even roll on the ground.  We copied what we saw our Moms and Grandparents do in church. 

We made high heels of our shoes by gluing empty thread spools to the soles of our shoes.  We made a lot of toys out of empty thread spools.

In one of the photos....  we were sitting on the porch at Aunt Gustine's.  I loved to hold Richard.... he was such a little doll.  He was three years younger than Joyce and me.  Joyce and I would sing him to sleep most days, but there were other times when we would tell him to close his eyes and Joyce would yell "Boo" from behind to scare him and he would cry. As you can see by the look on her face..... she wasn't happy... because her Mom had just yelled at us and told her to stop scaring Richard.

In a photo I added.... we were sitting on the lawn at your Grandmother's house....   Aunt Jewel was holding baby Leon beside me and Charles was holding Joyce in front of him.  I was a year old, Joyce was 9 months old and Charles was almost 4 years old.   Our moms and all their sisters got together for Sunday dinner every weekend for years, until we moved to Indiana,  and all of us kids had so much fun playing together. 

When Joyce & I were 7 years old.... we were staying at Aunt Gladys's house.   I put on a pair of Uncle Pat's trousers and Joyce stuffed them with pillows.  We then went outside and ran around the house.  Joyce was behind me... laughing.  She stepped on one of the pants legs as I was running and I fell lickety split into the corner of a concrete step and cut a big gash over my left eye.  Aunt Gladys came out and yelled.... "If you weren't hurt.... I would spank both of you".  

When your Mom was 14 years old, she came to live with us fulltime in Indiana.  Joyce and I shared a room together until she got married and moved away.  We had so many great times and lots of laughter together.  She always had a little laugh... which I called a "tee hee".  We called her by the nickname... "Dote".  My Mom gave her that nickname when she was a little girl.    My Mom loved Joyce dearly and I know the two of them are having a grand old time in heaven. 

I miss all those Christmas Eves when Joyce and Paul would bring you all to my house.  Paul would play the guitar... I played the Hammond Organ and we would all sing Christmas carols way into the night.  I'm including a photo of you all standing with Chris, Kelley and Tracie taken on Christmas Eve 1972.    Those Christmases were so special.... as were the many Sundays when we were all in church together... or on our yacht up on Lake Michigan.  These are only a few of the many wonderful memories I will cherish as long as I live.

I have included a photo of your Mom, Dad and me which was taken in May, 2002.  Neither of us knew that day.... that much too soon... both Joyce and Paul would be carried away in the arms of the Angels.... forever to be with the Lord.    

May God abundantly bless and comfort each of you during this time of sorrow and loss.   I love each of you so very much.  My thoughts and prayers are with you always.

Your Cousin and as some of you call me... "Aunt Charlene"

Our hearts go to you during this difficult time.  
Cousins,
Randy and Pattie Carter, Adolphus, KY

Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery

Joyce Hunter

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OBITUARY

Joyce M. Carter Hunter

13 November, 1943 – 1 February, 2013

Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery

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