Joyce VaNell (Mims) Parrish passed on to her heavenly reward and a brand new life in glory on July 27, 2021, at age 90. She was born at home in Comanche County to W. O. (Orville) and Francis Mims on July 22, 1931. She grew up on the family farm and went to school and church in Lamkin. She married Robert L.(Rusty) Parrish, Jr., of the Liberty-Ohio Community in Hamilton County on August 26, 1947. They made their home in Hamilton as Rusty worked various jobs before becoming manager of the Perry's Variety Store on the square. Joyce was a stay-at-home mom, although she worked briefly at Harlicks Department Store. They were both involved in the community life of Hamilton. The Perry's store closed in 1967, and the company moved Rusty and Joyce to Grand Saline in East Texas where they lived and worked until retirement. It was a huge grief and adjustment for them to leave all their family and friends and hometown of Hamilton, but they adjusted and stayed very active in church, school, civic and community events. Joyce served as the Baptist Associational Womens Missions director of VanZandt County for years and was an active member of Main Street Baptist Church, the Athena Club, and the Red Hat Society. She served as a director for the Grand Saline Salt Festival and Salt Palace. She loved history and collecting historical artifacts, doing scrap books and writing poetry. She had several of her poems published in the National Poetry Guild books.
She and Rusty moved back to Hamilton County as soon as they could after retirement and reconnected with old friends. Joyce became active in Calvary Baptist Church and volunteered much at the Hamilton County Museum, serving as its director for several years. She and Rusty were married 58 years and have two sons living on the family farm south of Hamilton, James Parrish and his wife Martha, and Tom Parrish, who teaches at Hamilton High School. They have five grandsons, Stephen, Micah, John, Timothy and Paul, and 10 great grandchildren.
Joyce is predeceased by her parents and three siblings, LaWanna Trammell, Merle Elrod and Bill Mims, and by one grandson, John M. Parrish. She is survived by one sister Mary Reynolds and her husband Carl of Portland, Texas, and her two sons James(and wife Martha) Parrish and Tom Parrish, four grandsons and eight great grandchildren.
Joyce will be interred in Live Oak Cemetery with a memorial service to follow on August 7th at 1pm at Calvary Baptist Church in Hamilton.
