Edith Joyce Arnold

1930-2016

Born in Columbus, Ohio in 1930, Joyce relocated to Saint Petersburg, Florida with her mother, father and sister, Patricia in 1944. She graduated from Saint Petersburg High School and traveled to Anderson, Indiana to attend Church of God College. There she met and fell in love with Army Serviceman, Joseph Arnold and they were married. God honored Joyce’s prayers for a family of two boys and two girls, with the birth of Larry, Mikell, Yvonne and Lucretia. Joyce walked her children to the Nazarene Church each Sunday to make sure they were taught the Word of God and she volunteered at VBS each summer with her children in attendance. Joyce modeled and instilled valuable work ethics in her children by requiring that each child had their chores. Working together as a family unit, raising chickens, planting and harvesting food and teaching her children to make applesauce, grape jam, rhubarb pie, pickles and can peaches and green beans were wonderful techniques she handed down to her children as well as making ice cream from freshly fallen snow. Joyce worked from home babysitting and taking in ironing and encouraged her children to explore job opportunities as well such delivering newspapers, pop bottle collecting, selling American greeting cards and rose bushes. The family also began a coin collection and enjoyed going through their earnings looking for special ones needed to fill their books and Joyce helped each one start a savings account.

Joyce also believed in serving her community. She volunteered as a Girl Scout Troop Leader at Longfellow Elementary School where her children were enrolled and worked the Election Polls.

God had gifted Joyce with many talents one of which was her love of music and she shared this gift with her children as well. Piano and guitar are still played today by her children. Joyce also gave her gift back to the Lord as she sang many solos in every church she attended throughout her life. Another talent God graced Joyce with was creativity. She sewed clothes for her family, wallpapered rooms, painted, laid tile, dyed furniture, and designed clothes. Joyce even won an award for a “Miss Autumn” costume she created for her daughter from a slip and actual maple leaves she had preserved in paraffin. Joyce also inspired her children to pursue the arts by assisting her daughter Yvonne in writing and performing plays in grade school and helping her son Larry write songs and poems. Joyce continued writing poems long after her children were grown and has had several published.

In 1966, Joyce entered a new season in her life and moved back to Saint Petersburg, Florida where her mother and sister, Patricia, still resided. She began a career working as a School Cafeteria Manager at Clearview Elementary School and also worked nights and weekends at the Kapok Tree Restaurant in Clearwater to provide for her four children. Years later she was also employed by Saint Petersburg Yacht Club and then with Publix Bakery Department where she expanded her creative talents now working with food.

Joyce attended Pinellas Park Church of the Nazarene under Reverend Karns and taught Sunday School there as well as singing in the choir. The Lord sent Joyce the gift of a new husband, Bill Kruppner, and they were wed here in church by Reverend Karns. The newlyweds took a trip to Niagara Falls and then moved to Old Town, Florida taking along her Mother who had recently retired. After her Mother’s passing in 1979, Joyce moved to Astatula. She purchased a farm of seven acres where she raised chickens, pigs, rabbits, two horses and a Shetland pony. Her youngest daughter, Lucretia, moved in and Joyce helped raise her two grandchildren, Michelle and Cameron. Joyce continued her legacy to the next generation of making sure her family was rooted and grounded in Christ, by taking her grandchildren with her to Tavares Church of the Nazarene where she was an active member. She continued her life of service volunteering at VBS, singing and designing cakes for the Church’s special occasions. Joyce gave her grandchildren another great gift as she enrolled them in Leesburg Christian School to provide them with a Christian education. Joyce and Bill also opened up a store in Lake Jem called Kruppner’s Korner Store. Joyce loved to travel and she and Bill took many road trips visiting special places and her two sons, Larry and Mikell and their families and friends in Indiana, California, Ohio, Tennessee and North Carolina, and New York. She also traveled abroad with her eldest daughter, Yvonne, and her granddaughter, Noelle, to exotic places in Hawaii, China, Korea, and Japan creating many special memories for all. After her youngest son, Mikell finished his career in the Navy and the Air Force, he joined Joyce on her farm in Astatula. After selling her store, Joyce began volunteering with Lake County Hospice and was a faithful servant there for seven years.

Following two knee replacements and other health issues, Joyce’s latter life season began in 2005 as she sold her farm and moved to Lakeland to be closer to her eldest daughter, Yvonne. Purchasing a home in The Colonnades Senior Community, Joyce joined right in the activities of Bingo, Aquatic Exercise and sang with their glee club, The Colonnades Chorale, and also wrote and recited several of her poems during their Holiday programs. She continued her life of service here in Lakeland working once again at the Election Polling places and helping families in the Colonnades by taking them shopping and to Dr. visits and sitting with those who needed companionship and praying with them and providing them with Bibles. She always befriended those whom other people shunned, cooking them dinner or baking them desserts and shared Jesus with them. She was known among residents as the “GOD BLESS YOU “ lady since she was always offering this salutation to many of them as she walked her schnauzers. Joyce joined the Highland Park Church of the Nazarene here in Lakeland and was very involved with the Senior Plus Sunday School Class. She was among one of the first to finish her monthly reading assignments and supported their missionary ventures here as well as Liberty University, Daystar Ministries, Moody Radio and many other Christian organizations to help bring the Gospel of Christ to the World.

Sadly in 2007, after a heart valve replacement the year prior, Joyce was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She continued to live a very active life up until 2013 when melanoma and other health issues began taking their toll. But Joyce never lost her sense of humor or her love of singing songs God put in her heart. These qualities were present till the day she stepped into the arms of Jesus.

Even though my Mother, Joyce suffered many severe heartbreaks and violence during her lifetime here on earth, her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word was unwavering to the very end. MAY WE ALL BE AS BLESSED TO BE FOUND SO FAITHFUL!