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Betty Marie Joyner
Posted
Betty, age 97, joined Jesus in Heaven July 27,2024 in Fountain Hills, Az. She was born on Feb. 9, 1927 to Harry and Gertrude Knight in Anthony, Kansas. Betty graduated from Anthony High School in 1945. She went to St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing in Wichita, Kansas. On Sept.1948, she received her R.N. degree. She married Tom Neal in 1949 and worked 1 year as a Pediatric Nurse before having 6 children. She was a wonderful mother. Tom’s job took the family to Westland, Michigan for many years, then to Richmond, Indiana. After Tom died in 1974, she had to return to nursing until she was 63 at Reid Memorial Hospital in Richmond. Her proudest moment was that she was able to provide college to all of her children who wanted to go. During her marriage to Walter Ketron, their hobby was antique car shows. She enjoyed traveling and dressing in her mother’s era appropriate clothes to match the years of Walt’s cars. In 1992 she married Jim Joyner. They retired in Richmond, Indiana. Eventually because of health problems they went to Friends Fellowship Home to live until Jim passed away in 2017. She then lived with her daughter, Sydney, and George Bridges until her death from cancer in Fountain Hills, Az. She is remembered as a sweet, loving, kind, caring, happy and patient person. She came from a long line of artists and she inherited that creativity. One hobby was making jewelry (beading) which she taught her girls. Another passion was nature and gardening. She loved her cottage on Crystal Lake in Frankfort, Michigan. She was a collector of many vintage pieces and dolls. She is survived by 6 children: Sydney Bridges (George), Thomas F. Neal III (Karen), Nancy Neal, Patrick Neal, Tim Neal (Kat) and Jennifer Gray. She also had 6 stepchildren: Louis Joyner, Kathryn Joyner, Elizabeth Heston (Glen). Carolyn Hile, Tobias Bortner and Nancy Bortner. She was blessed with many grandchildren, great grandkids and 1 great great granddaughter, Jude Bridges. Preceding her in death was her only sibling, Robert Knight and her 3 husbands. She will be missed by everyone whose life she touched. We will Celebrate Her Life in July 2025 at Crystal Lake, Frankfort, Michigan.
