Our beloved mother, Joy Elizabeth (Howard) Vaden went to her heavenly home on September 16, 2024 at the age of 92. She was born on January 17, 1932 in Durant, Okla., to Bryan and Vivian (French) Howard. She married Billy M. Vaden on January 17, 1950, and they were married for 68 years.
She attended grade school in Woodville, Okla., until the 6th grade. The family had to move from Woodville due to construction of Lake Texoma and choose to move to Calera. She started at Calera School in the sixth grade and attended until her graduation. Upon graduation, she went to work for Southwestern Bell Telephone in Durant as a telephone operator for a few years. In 1959, she went to work at Cherokee Telephone Company in Calera as the first office employee and worked for them for more than 20 years. She retired but retirement wasn’t for her, so she went to work for the ASCS office as a clerk helping the ranchers and farmers as she had always been a farmer’s wife. After the ASCS office she started work as a clerk for the accounting office of Roy Carter. She retired again to become a full-time farmers wife.
Joy was a member of the First Baptist Church in Calera, Oklahoma and was a faithful Christian who loved the Lord. She had a beautiful singing voice and loved singing in the church choir. She was a member of the Calera Eastern Star and Elks Lodge Ladies Auxiliary for many years.
Her activities and hobbies were taking care of her children and grandchildren and being a farmer’s wife. She loved having family dinners and parties and was a wonderful cook. She cooked many meals for Billy and his helpers in the field. Her favorite activity was shopping with her daughters and grand kids, taking them to Denison, Sherman, and Dallas, Texas for weekend shopping sprees. One of her favorite times too was taking her kids and grandkids for the weekend to Lake Texoma Lodge for the French Family reunion.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Billy Vaden; parents, Bryan and Vivian Howard; sisters: Jenny McGee, Jane Snow, and Merry Bryan Heindselman.
Joy is survived by her three daughters, Pam and Jimmy Parrish of Calera, Okla., Karen and Allen Melton of Kingston, Okla., Liz Jones of Calera, Oklahoma; grandchildren: Tip and Meredith Jones of Durant, Okla., Jason and Amy Simpson of Bells, Texas, Jaime and Chad Compton of Tulsa, Okla., Jeff and Ramona Hughes of Kingston, Okla., Ashley and Robert Corbin of Durant, Okla.; step-grandchildren: Chris Melton, Andrea and Aaron Smith; great-grandchildren: Caroline Jones, Austin Jones, Chase Corbin, Camryn Corbin, Laura Simpson, Emma Compton, Ava Compton, Audrey Hughes, Lila Hughes; step-great-grandchildren: Boz Smith, Bryna Melton; one great-great grandchild. Henley Joy Jones; sister, Carolyn and George Tarr; brother, Bill Howard as well as numerous nieces and nephews who she dearly loved.
A funeral service was held on Friday, September 20, 2024, at First Baptist Church in Calera, Okla., with Reverend Jacob Toews and Pastor Jim Parrish officiating, with graveside service at Rose Hill Cemetery in Calera. The grandsons Tip Jones, Jason Simpson, Jeff Hughes, Chad Compton, Robert Corbin, Austin Jones & Chase Corbin served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Parrish and Allen Melton.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Gordon Funeral Home, 221 N. Third Ave. in Durant.
Phone: (580) 916-9090
