Joyce E. Carroll

She won’t be leaving her family an “estate” of any sort. She has a few small treasured items, each with a story - but no pile of valuables. She did not spend her life building some great career. She lived and died in the same simple small A-frame house she built nearly 60 years ago in which to raise her children, grandchildren, and countless foster children.

Joyce was born on October 31st 1920 in the small rural community of Phillips Wisconsin where she lived until the great depression swept the land and her family, which now included a younger brother, like many others, were forced to move across the country looking for work. When Joyce was a young teenager the family reached Oregon and sank their remaining resources into purchasing a boarding house which her mother and aunt ran. Her father and uncle went on to Alaska to seek work on the fishing boats. These were hard years and Joyce often spoke about the sacrifices that were made during that time. She attended Girl’s Polytechnic High School in Portland and learned cooking and sewing and other “lady-like” skills.

Her first marriage was to Herbert Shields . Their first child, a boy, died shortly after birth, then on July 26th 1941 Joyce successfully delivered a healthy baby girl. At her husband’s insistence the baby was named after her, Joyce Elaine Shields.

Just a few months later, December 7th , 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and America went to war. Herbert was drafted, leaving Joyce at home in Portland to raise their little girl. When the war ended and the couple were reunited it became obvious that both had changed quite a lot and they found they were no longer compatible. Divorce followed and once again Joyce was raising her daughter alone.

Several years went by with the young mother working various jobs such as waitressing, working in a cannery, and helping in family businesses. In the early 1950s Joyce met and married Patrick Michael Carroll a handsome and exotic young man who had been born and raised in India. Quite soon another daughter arrived and was named Sadona after a favorite Indian actress long admired by her father. And just 18 months after Sadona a third daughter entered the world. She had carrot red hair and was named Ginger by her proud father.

Joyce’s second husband, Patrick, was a merchant seaman and was gone from home for weeks at a time, again leaving Joyce to her own resources in raising her three girls. And, unfortunately, this marriage was also short lived. Pat, as he was called, ran into difficulties regarding his resident alien status and eventually left the country.

By now Joyce was quite accustomed to caring for her girls as a single mom. She was very resourceful and always saw to it that they had everything they needed and then some.

Years passed and the little family struggled on. Determined that her children should have the same benefits and experiences as a two parent family, Joyce took the girls camping, taught them to fly fish, loaded them into her old Pontiac and drove them to Disneyland, Yellowstone National Park and other equally wonderful places.

When Ginger and Sadona were just toddlers, a neighbor woman, whose son was mentally handicapped, passed away. Her husband whose job took him away from home quite often was about to put the boy into an institution. When Joyce heard this she immediately volunteered to take him in and care for him. And so Joyce’s career as a caregiver for abused, abandoned, and otherwise traumatized children began. Robert was only the first of many. Over the ensuing years her home was refuge to children of all ages from babies to teenagers. She was “mom” to them all and they all came to love her for , in many cases, her care saved their lives.

Eventually Joyce’s girls left home and started lives of their own. Grandchildren followed and soon they joined the ranks of kids who found love from this remarkable woman. And adventure too! Many times she piled grandkids and foster kids into her car and drove across the states or to Canada to see the National parks, explore Victoria, pan gold in Carson City and more. And not all of the fun was out travelling. Joyce was an amazing cook and engaged grandkids and foster kids in such fun as pasta making, stirring up batches of fudge – and, of course, licking the spoon, and rolling out her famous pie crust.

Her genetic family was small but her family of the heart was enormous. She became the anchor in life not only for her girls but for the many children she cared for over the years. She loved them all, took care of them and they came to her in times of crisis, even as adults.

Her legacy is a rarity, a true example of a good human being. A woman who sacrificed in ways that few are willing, to bring comfort and joy to her own and others. This was our remarkable mother, this was Joyce Carroll.