Joye Housman

Joye Leta (Wells) Housman passed away at home in Tucson, Arizona on Thursday, January 11, 2024, from brain cancer. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Verlon Housman (Bill) , as well as her four older sisters. She is survived by her two daughters, Anita Joy (Housman) Sheely with her husband Terry Gietz, and Cindy Wells (Housman) Gwozdz with her husband Ed, her five grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Joye was born in Delaplaine, Arkansas on February 13, 1932, to Charlie French Wells and Gertie Mae (Smith) Wells. She was the youngest of five daughters. The family was selected to move to Dyess Colony, created by then President F.D Roosevelt's "New Deal" when she was a little girl. She grew up there and graduated as Valedictorian of her class in 1950. She enjoyed acting in school plays starting in the elementary grades and participated in theater in high school. She grew up with and was good friends with Johnny Cash (JR to his close friends) and after seeing "Walk the Line," said it was sort of close to the "real" story.

At sixteen, she began dating a handsome and athletic boy from nearby Shawnee High School, known as "Sonny" by his friends and family. (She refused to call him that and always called him Bill) They were introduced by a mutual friend and met at the local Dyess cafe. They dated throughout the rest of high school but after high school she broke up with him and he left to join the Air Force. She moved to Memphis with several of her sisters and began working as a mail girl at a plant making TVs and TV parts and at some point, was promoted to the parts department. After someone broke into their boarding house room while they were sleeping and stole their wallets, she and her sisters decided the big city wasn't for them and moved back in with their parents.

Her high school sweetheart returned on leave and asked her to marry him and in March of 1952 she became a military wife and served alongside her husband for over 20 years.

Joye was a faithful member of the Church of Christ and attended wherever they were stationed. She continued to attend and was a member of Northside Church of Christ in Tucson until the time of her death.

She loved her daughters fiercely. We will miss her dry sense of humor and easy smile.