Joyce M Gardner

Ms. Gardner taught in the Smackover Public School District from 1972 until 1992. She was accepted as a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society in 1967. Ms. Gardner, along with her husband, Lewis Gardner, served as church musicians at Old Union Baptist Church from 1972 until 1992. After retirement she and her husband became church musicians at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in El Dorado. They retired from that music ministry in 2016.

Joyce Gardner attended elementary school in Louann, AR, and she graduated from Fairview High School May 27, 1949. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Southern Arkansas University in 1961. She earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Henderson State University in 1977.

Ms. Gardner taught school in Mt. Holly, Mansfield, Fort Smith as well as Smackover in the state of Arkansas. She was a member of AEA and NEA. She belonged to the International Reading Association. She was past president of the Smackover Educational Association and past president of the South Arkansas Reading Association

She is preceded in death by her husband Lewis Quin Gardner, her dad Joseph Grey Smith, her mom Illa Pansy Smith, and her brother Melva Smith.

She is survived by her sister Betty Sue Glaesar of Virginia. She is also survived by her children Amanda Jo Gardner (Jones) of Smackover and her son Samuel Lewis Gardner of Louann. She is also survived by her grandchildren Alexa Joyce Bethany (Iman), Ashley Quindalynn Bethany (Boulaoudan), Alexander Christopher Bethany and Joseph Samuel Bethany, and numerous great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Friday, December 29, 2017 at Young’s Chapel. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will follow at Liberty Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Directors.