Joyce Edna Morris Williams

1939 — 2022

Joyce Edna Morris Williams, age 83, died on November 20, 2022, in Provo, Utah, due to complications of Alzheimer’s Disease. She was born on October 19, 1939, in Salt Lake City, a daughter of Ronald Ephraim Morris and Esther Fay Andersen Morris.

Joyce married Gary Wilford Williams in the Salt Lake LDS Temple on November 8, 1956, in Salt Lake City, Utah, and together they resided in Provo their entire lives. They had four children: Sherrie W. Chynoweth Bills (Verl), Russell W. Williams, Troy G. Williams, and Linda W. Gause (Paul). They had 11 grandchildren: Kody, Chelsea (Eric Benoit), and Amberly (Ritch Aplanalp) Chynoweth; Megan (Linc Greenhalgh), Jed, Jacob (Jeanette), and Hanna (Mark Kennon) Williams; Bryce and Kylie (Mike Salisbury) Williams; and Jessica (Dexter Buxton) and Ryan Gause; and 14 great-grandchildren: Skylar, Easton and Jackson Aplanalp; Zellie, Teagan and Tayli Greenhalgh; Sydney, Brooklyn, Cooper and Geordy Williams; Elias Williams and Waylon Kennon; and Jackson Salisbury.

Joyce was an accomplished homemaker, cook, gardener, and seamstress, using methods primarily taught to her by her dear mother-in-law and best friend, Myrtle Beard Ligman. She was absolutely dedicated to seeking out her genealogy, having no skills other than tirelessly tracking down cousins and asking questions. After raising her children, she operated a laundry route service between Provo and Salt Lake City, obtained her GE Degree, and then became a school lunch worker in the Provo School District. There she made many friends and had the opportunity to further enjoy her love of travel with them on their “lunch-lady” conventions. She retired after 20 years, having served lunches and breakfast to thousands of children over her career. She was active in the LDS church holding callings in Primary, Mutual, Girl’s Camp, and Scouting, with one of her favorite callings being that of a Visiting Teacher. For over 56 years, she was known among her family, friends and neighbors for her friendliness and kind charity to serve and support anyone in need.

Joyce and Gary loved to travel and had visited most areas of the United States, much of it done by tent camping, along with a few glamorous international trips. For many years, they enjoyed riding a Honda Gold Wing motorcycle on tours with the Temple Riders Association (TRA), where they made life-long friends while visiting LDS Temples all over the United States and Canada, including several trips to Nauvoo, Illinois. They were featured a number of times on the news and in local newspapers as “Moroni’s Angels”, showcasing their unique hobby. Even after Gary was no longer physically able to ride the motorcycle, Joyce would drive them in the car to continue to follow along with all the TRA temple rallies. Gary and Joyce also rode an ATV on numerous family outings over many years where Joyce was always happy to ride with Gary, but then in her 70’s, became enthusiastic to ride on her own ATV.

Joyce loved the family and friend gatherings at home on birthdays and holidays, along with camping and playing together in the outdoors during all four seasons of the year. She loved babies and kids and innately knew how to connect and play with them. She was adored by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, always making them laugh. She was widely known to be dramatic, joyous, and funny, bringing laughter and smiles wherever she was. Even in her darkest hours of Alzheimer’s, her funny antics still made the family giggle.

Joyce’s father died suddenly of a heart infection when she was 11 years old, and shortly thereafter it was determined that her mother should be hospitalized, being mentally incompetent to continue raising her five children. The children were divided up and taken in by relatives, and Joyce was sent to live with her maternal aunt, Elvira Andersen Monson, in Provo, Utah. Later in Joyce’s life, knowing that her mother had remarried while institutionalized, Joyce discovered that she had three half-sisters which were adopted out, and she was unwavering in attempting to locate and unite with them. It proved to be an enormous challenge spanning years and she was very proud to have accomplished her dream.

Joyce is survived by her four children; her sisters, Marlene Scott of Oregon, Joann Taylor and Geraldine Hone of Salt Lake County; her half-sisters Kathy Lindstrom, Laura Johnson and Colleen Long of Utah. She was preceded in death by her parents, parents-in-law Myrtle and Clarence Ligman, husband Gary W. Williams, brother Ronnie Jay Morris, brother-in-law Sherlan “Sweed” Ligman, sister-in-law Arlene Elder, son-in-law Kenneth J. Chynoweth, grandson Kody Chynoweth and great granddaughter, Brooklyn Williams.

The family wishes to thank the staff of Legacy Village of Provo, especially the memory care unit, where she was lovingly cared for in her last three years.

Graveside services were held Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at the Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed at www.bergmortuary.com.