Joyce Mozell Gillies

Joyce Mozelle Gillies Pasadena, TX - Age 90, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 25, 2018 after a long illness. Born November 30, 1927 in Tenaha, Texas, to Francis and Vinnie Hinton, Joyce’s early years were marked with tragedy. At age three, her father died of a heat stroke while working in the field. A year later, their house burned to the ground. A few years later, her mother later married a sharecropper farmer and Joyce spent many long days picking cotton long days in the East Texas fields. Hers was truly a hardscrabble existence as she and the rest of America struggled through the Great Depression. One hot July Sunday at age thirteen, Joyce attended the regular Sunday night service at the old country church in her community. During the song service, as she sat beside a big open window close to the back of the church, a young man, named Alvazor Baxter Gillies (or A.B. as he preferred) who had just moved to the county, quietly eased his horse up to the window. Eye level with Joyce, he caught her eye and as they say, the rest is history. Their courtship flourished for the next few months but suddenly experienced a major interruption called World War II. A.B. enlisted in the Army and was immediately shipped overseas where he served the next two and one-half years. Meanwhile, at age 14, Joyce completed the eighth grade, left home and moved to Houston to find work. Joyce and A.B. continued to correspond through letters as much as they could. Finally, the war ended and A.B. returned home. They wed two days later and enjoyed 45 years of a marriage. They loved each other deeply.

Joyce, a lifetime housewife, railroad man/preacher’s wife, served alongside A.B. as he pastored several different Congregational Methodist and Southern Congregational Methodist churches from 1961 – 1991. She loved her work in the church with her husband and raising their family. She was faithful to be in church nearly every time the doors opened, Sunday morning and evening, Wednesday nights and countless revivals. She helped anywhere she could around the church whether it was keeping the nursery, cleaning the church or teaching a Sunday school class. She especially enjoyed going to camp meetings every summer and she loved southern gospel music. Joyce was also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star.

She had a quiet yet strong faith that helped her through some very difficult times in her later years. After A.B. died suddenly in 1991 and her youngest son, Bill was tragically killed just four years later, her loneliness and longing for Heaven understandably grew very strong. Thankfully, God brought her into the fellowship of Pasadena’s South Main Baptist Church and their “Mavericks” Senior Sunday school class. When she was in good health, she looked forward to Sunday morning and hardly missed church. When her health began to fail and she could not get out as much, the Mavericks continued to reach out to her, visited and ministered to her in in many different ways. Our family is most grateful for their love and support.

Surviving her daughter, Joy (Steve) Samoheyl, sons, Leo (Barbara) Gillies, Edward (Rhonda) Gillies and Bill Gillies (deceased 1996), six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Family will receive friends for visitation on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 at Forest Park Funeral Home from 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. followed by a graveside service at 2 p.m.