Dolly "Joy" Bryant

Dolly Joy (Finney) Bryant, age 94, passed away peacefully at the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City, Nevada on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. She was born on February 26, 1927 in Cohasset, Minnesota, daughter of Harry Newton Finney and Roxanna (Axtell) Finney. Joy grew up on a small farm in northern Minnesota. She was a Christian woman and knew the meaning of hard work. She taught Sunday School. She was a Homemaker and took care of her family. Joy baked homemade bread and biscuits every week for years that her family always looked forward to. She worked from home by taking in laundry and ironing and also did childcare. She always had a vegetable garden and loved planting flowers. She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed crocheting and quilting. She loved putting together large, complicated jigsaw puzzles, and also enjoyed crossword puzzles and word books.

Joy and Ray Baldwin Bryant married in Henderson, Nevada on March 18, 1954. They had five children together. After Joy and Ray had Cindy, Leanna and R.B, they moved to Oklahoma where Ray's brother lived to help on the farm. They had their fourth child, Mollie. They decided to purchase a dairy farm in Missouri. Eventually they lost the farm due to severe drought, and moved to Iowa where Joy's two brothers lived. They had their fifth child, Jessie. Ray could not find employment, so they moved back to Henderson, Nevada.

Ray and Joy purchased a home in Las Vegas, Nevada and remained there for 52 years. They were very active members of the Desert Hills Baptist Church. Joy and Ray traveled to Germany twice for extensive stays visiting their daughter, Leanna and her husband Charles Thrasher II, and grandson Charles III while Chuck was in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Spangdahlem for many years. Ray and Joy moved into the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City in July of 2018.

Joy is survived by three daughters: Cynthia Bryant (Frank Marinelli III), Mollie (Raymond) Weiser, Jessie (Tom) McPhail; son, Rollin (Karen) Bryant; seven grandchildren: Jason (Crystal) Bryant, Kevin (Kassondra) Bryant, Cory Bryant, Michael Paiz, Joseph Paiz, Sara (Aaron) Flores, and Charles (Jennifer) Thrasher III; nine great-grandchildren: Tristan Bryant, Gideon Bryant, Jameson Bryant, Kaiden Bryant, Korben Bryant, Mackenzie Thrasher (mother is Christy Thrasher), Charlotte Thrasher, Aiden Paiz, Carmella Flores; many nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.

Joy was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; daughter, Leanna (Charles) Thrasher II; three brothers: Emery Finney, Daren Finney and Donald Finney; sister, Evelyn (Bob) Sacksteader; brother-in-law, Wayne (Jenny) Bryant; sister-in-law Mary Lee (Belton) Cowen; sister-in-law, Velda (Richard)Simmons; sister-in-law, Dorothy (Art) Armstrong; Niece, Mary Ann (Cowen) Young; and Nephews: Billy Wayne Bryant, Ed Armstrong, Richard Armstrong, Hal Finney, and Shawn Sacksteader.

Joy was a kind, gentle, compassionate and patient loving woman. She loved her family and the Lord, and will be Forever in our Hearts.

A private burial service will be held at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada with only a few close family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date at Palm Boulder Highway Mortuary. An announcement will go out prior to the Celebration of Life once the date has been determined by the family.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmboulderhighway.com for the Bryant family.