Joyce Poston Yanta

Joyce Aline Poston Yanta returned to her Heavenly Father early in the morning on May 23, 2023 after battling cancer and later suffering several strokes. She was born, along with her identical twin sister Judith, to Henrietta Nocker Poston and Jesse Lambert Poston on September 11, 1941 at Santa Rosa Hospital in San Antonio, Texas. Her wit, strong spirit, beautiful smile and enduring faith will be remembered and truly missed.

Joyce is survived by her loving husband of nearly 61 years, Joe James Yanta, and their four children: Madelon Yanta Leone (husband Charles Leone), Mark Yanta (wife Marisa Davis Yanta), Matthew Yanta (wife Victoria Pomilla Yanta) and Maurie Yanta Bosl (husband Dustin Bosl). She is also survived by her nine grandchildren-- Russell Leone, Warren Leone, Christiana Leone, Joseph Yanta, Noah Yanta, Jack Yanta, Luke Yanta, Bella Sophia Bosl, Kai Bosl, as well as her twin sister Judith Poston, and 49 nieces and nephews.

Although Joyce and her twin sister Judith were quite a “surprise package” to their parents and five siblings who have preceded Joyce in death (Nan Porasky, Mary Lee Bartz, Jesse Burke Poston, Betty Lois Kissling and James A. Poston), “the twins” (as they were affectionately dubbed) were welcomed with loving arms and lots of attention. Their mother said that she adored having twins and took pride in sewing stylish, matching dresses for Joyce and Judith until they were in their teens.

Being born into a farm family, their mother fondly remembered bundling Joyce and Judith in blankets when she went out to the barn to help milk the cow in the early morning with her newborns.

Joyce attended San Antonio’s Providence High School and Our Lady of the Lake University. While attending a St. Mary’s University sock hop, she met, fell in love with and eventually married her life-long spouse and best friend, Joe Yanta, in 1962.

Joyce regularly participated in various volunteer activities within the Catholic parishes in which she and Joe resided, including teaching religious education, coaching CYO volleyball, and serving in the Altar Society and on parish councils. She was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America and regularly volunteered to work at election polls in Bexar County. In 1987, Joyce chaired the Catholic Charities USA Conference when Pope John Paul II was the keynote speaker when he visited San Antonio.

Joyce spent the latter part of her working years at the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, where she took pride in the mission of the foundation, and truly enjoyed the comradery she shared with her friends/co-workers.

Joyce and Joe’s home has long been a gathering place for holiday celebrations, birthdays and other family events. We all loved her potato salad and anise cookies (her mom’s recipes) that usually always accompanied Joe’s grilled meat off the pit. In their later years, the couple enjoyed traveling to Europe, Panama and Costa Rica.

The family would like to offer a special thanks to Joyce’s bunco group of over 55 years (Carolyn Finger Bell, Charlene Boch Burnett, Kathy Volz Castillo, Patricia Poth Flieller, Lois Perez Goetz, Beverly Volz Koch, Eileen Doyle Lunden, Pat Lynch Morris, and Josephine Lubrano Neesvig) for their friendship and kind-hearted support throughout their many decades of rolling dice and sharing lively conversation and dessert together.

IIn addition, the family thanks her caregivers Alma Garza, Adriana Tijerina, Dennisse Vasquez, Charslyn Washington and Dora Santiago for all of their kind and compassionate care and attention for Joyce.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to The American Cancer Society, the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Friends Foundation or any charity of your choice.

ROSARYMONDAY, JUNE 19, 20239:30 AMST. MATTHEW CATHOLIC CHURCH10703 WURZBACH RD.

MEMORIAL MASSMONDAY, JUNE 19, 202310:00 AMST. MATTHEW CATHOLIC CHURCH10703 WURZBACH RD.

Father Dennis Arechiga will officiate. Interment will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery.