Joyce Snavely

She was born at home near Sunfield on March 20, 1929 to Frances Evelyn (Cheal) and William Irvin Hoover. She attended the Magden country school in her early years and graduated from Sunfield High School in 1946. She worked as a telephone operator for Michigan Bell Telephone in Battle Creek for a few years before marrying Duane Eldon Snavely October 4, 1952. Elaine was born in 1954 and Cheryl in 1958. Duane and Joyce moved from the farm on Irish Road to Carlton Center in 1988 and lived there until they moved to Green Acres near Ionia in 2018.

She enjoyed tending to her granddaughters, beating Duane at Scrabble, taking Hartzler bus tours, baking, cooking, and sewing. She served the Sunfield Church of the Brethren as financial secretary for years and was later a member of the Hope Church of the Brethren. Joyce kept meticulous records for the farm and corresponded with relatives living around the country. She liked to clip and share cartoons that tickled her in letters or at appointments in town.

Joyce was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Duane, her brother Maurice Hoover, and her step-father William Brovont. She is survived by daughters Elaine (Dan) Wells and Cheryl (Tim) Allen and granddaughters Elizabeth Allen and Katherine (Andrew) Haff.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 23rd at the Koops Funeral Chapel in Lake Odessa. The service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24th at the Hope Church of the Brethren, Freeport. The family is encouraging people to wear masks and will have some available.

Joyce loved children and spending time in the woods. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Camp Brethren Heights, 9478 Brethren Heights Road, Rodney, MI 49342 or https://www.campbrethrenheightsmi.org/donate.