Joyce Vernon Lindley

Mrs. Joyce Vernon Lindley, 84, of York, AL., passed away on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at Anderson Regional Hospital in Meridian.  A funeral service is planned for Saturday, September 7, 2019 at 4 p.m. at Cockrell Funeral Home Chapel, Macon, Mississippi.  Interment will follow in Salem Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the donor’s choice in her memory.

Joyce was born in Gholson, Mississippi on March 6, 1935 to Webster Clinton Vernon and Mabel Clair Weaver Vernon. She had a wonderful life growing up with her seven siblings there.

She married Sam Hardin Lindley, her true love and soul mate, in 1957, and settled into their home in Macon, Mississippi. They welcomed three daughters, Cindy, Jupie, and Beth, in the following years. She had a busy schedule raising her family. She worked as a telephone operator for many years before working at Sears Roebuck in Macon. Her daughters loved having a Mom that knew Santa personally at the Sears store.

In 1969, the Lindley family moved to York, Alabama. For many years Joyce was a stay at home Mom. When the youngest child entered school, she began working at the Bank of York. Joyce loved this job.  She loved her work family and enjoyed seeing and working with the wonderful people in the community. Joyce worked at the Bank of York before she retired with twenty five years of service.

Joyce had a great love for her church. She worked in Vacation Bible School and with the Youth. She and Sam taught 4 &5 year old Sunday school for many years. They also had many children sit with them during “Big Church” over the years. It was not unusual for their girls to come home for the weekend and have to sit on the pew in front of them because the youngsters were in their regular seat for “Big Church”.

Joyce loved God, her husband Sam, her girls, her sons-in law and grandchildren. Anyone who knew her knew all about her grandchildren, their accomplishments, and had seen their latest pictures. She showed Christ’s love through her kindness to all she met. She was a wonderful mom and role model to her girls and a best friend to them as adults. She will be missed by her family. Joyce is preceded in death by parents; her loving husband, Sam H. Lindley; siblings, Ann Vandevender, Bud Vernon and Raymond Vernon.

Joyce is survived by her daughters: Cindy Whitmire and husband Hal Clark, Jr. of Kingwood, TX, Jupie Lindley of Birmingham, AL, and Beth Williams and husband Jay of Mt. Airy, N.C; four grandchildren: Zoe Whitmire, Tucker Whitmire, Lindley Williams, and Matheson Williams; two sisters: Hilda Luke of Preston, MS, Frances Bourgeois of Memphis, TN; two brothers, J.W. Vernon of Macon, MS and David Vernon of Southaven, MS.