Joyce W. Kingsland, age 95, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, passed away peacefully on December 22, 2021. One of five siblings raised on a Centennial farm in Evart, Michigan, Joyce graduated with the Evart High School Class of 1945 as Valedictorian. She was offered a scholarship to attend Ferris State College School of Business, but World War II was in full swing, and her country needed more nurses. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt authorized the Cadet Nursing Corps Program to expedite nurse training, Joyce enlisted, graduating from the Butterworth School of Nursing in Grand Rapids in 1948. She spent her entire life serving and caring for others as a nurse wherever she was needed, in the nursery of her church and as a community nurse.
For more than 70 years Joyce was a resident of Cascade Township, where she and her husband, Rex, owned and managed Kingsland Hardware, which they established in 1950. For more than half a century, Joyce assumed all the financial responsibilities for the growing business.
Joyce loved being a mother and spending time with her family. She sewed and knitted clothes for her children, served in supportive roles as a PTO officer, led Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts, and always encouraged her children’s educational endeavors. As a life-long learner she enjoyed reading, attending her Bible Study group, and playing golf and fishing with her husband. She walked the path of her Christian faith with a calm, thoughtful demeanor, her sweetness and kindness making her an inspiration to many.
Rex and Joyce were active in the Cascade community and at Cascade Christian Church. During their well-deserved retirement years, they spent winters on the Isles of Capri in Naples, Florida, and joined the Capri Christian Church. They were humble contributors, preferring to donate anonymously to and through these organizations. They were also instrumental in the creation of Cascade’s Tassell Park, located on the site of their first home. Through this project they sought to provide opportunities for families to enjoy fishing, picnicking, canoeing and kayaking, just as Rex had in his youth.
In her passing, Joyce rejoins her husband and partner, Rex, who predeceased her on December 20, 2017. Joyce loved Rex immeasurably. They were married for 68 years, and now they are together again.
Joyce is survived by her four children, Linda (Dr. Alan) Doering, Sandy (Diana) Kingsland, Shirley (Tom) Jansen, and Hon. Annette (J.J.) Ziegler; nine grandchildren, Dr. Arthur (Dr. Kelly) Doering, Libby Doering, Jeff (Michelle) Kingsland, Scott (Emily) Kingsland, Andrei (Ashley) Jansen, Catalin Jansen, Keller Ziegler, Charlie Ziegler, and Drew Ziegler; and five great-grandchildren. She will be greatly missed by her family and her many friends.
A memorial service for Joyce will be held at 11:00 on Wednesday, December 29th at Cascade Christian Church Chapel, with Pastor Jill Forton officiating. The family will greet friends 10:00 for visitation one hour prior to the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, contributions to Cascade Christian Church or Faith Hospice are suggested, with the family’s deep appreciation.
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