A funeral service for Jewell Joyce Mullis will be held at the Harleton Baptist Church on Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 2:00p.m. Interment will be at Smyrna Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 6-8p.m. Friday, March 8, 2019 at Downs Funeral Home.

Jewell Joyce Mullis (Miss Joyce) was born at home in Harrison County a few miles east of Harleton, Texas off the road to Jefferson, Texas, often called Bear Bottom. Miss Joyce weighed 12 lbs. at birth and her name was taken from a book, "Joyce of the Jasmines" of which she has a copy. She was delivered by Dr. Willard Allen, the town doctor. She has lived in Harleton, Texas all her life except for a few years during W.W.II.

She attended school in Harleton and graduated from the 11th grade in 1934. The Harleton School was located in a big two-story building; above where the Methodist Church is located in 2007. Since there were only 11 grades at Harleton School, Joyce drove with a group of their 12th grade at the Junior College of Marshall, located in Marshall, Texas. After her high school graduation, she continued her education and graduated from College of Marshall in August 1936. This gave her a teaching certificate, which she used the next year as the first grade teacher in Harleton. Joyce received an A.B.A. Degree on August 25, 1950, from North Texas State Teachers College in Denton, Texas. While still teaching in Harleton, a group of teachers drove every day in the summer and on Saturday's during school to Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas. She received her Masters of Education Degree in 1959. Miss Joyce taught school for 38 years and retired in 1984.

As a child, things were quite different in this small town of Harleton. Kerosene lamps were used to light their homes, which were carried from one room to another. The lamp gave only a low flickering light and had to be blown out when not in use. Water was drawn from a well that was hand dug. A rope and bucket was used to bring the water out of the well. In the summer, butter and milk were kept cool by placing them in the bucket and letting it down into the well. Trees were cut and chopped into short sticks for wood to be burned in cook stoves, heaters, and fireplaces. Bathes were taken in a #2 large washtub. The water was made warm by letting it sit in the sun all day in the summer. In the winter, water was heated on the stove in a kettle. Clothes were washed in three tubs, outside in the yard. The water was drawn from the well the night before washday, heated in a black wash pot, where wood was set fire underneath it. The clothes were dried on outside clotheslines. Soap was made at home from hog grease cracklings and lye. It was cooked in the black pot, cut into squares and kept for the years use. Harleton did not have electricity, plumbing, or running water. When you had to go relieve yourself, you used a chamber pot or went to the outdoor toilet. Harleton was a farming community. Families worked hard and raised most everything. Large gardens of peas, beans, onions, tomatoes, sweet and Irish potatoes, greens, and cabbage were raised. Cows were needed for milk, sweet and buttermilk, and the milk was churned to make butter. Hens were set and raised baby chicks for eggs and meat. Big fat hogs were killed in the fall for delicious ham, bacon, sausage, and lard (cooking oil). Horses and mules were used to pull wagons, buggies, and plow the fields that were planted with corn for feeding the animals. The main crop was cotton that brought in the money; when it was baled and sold at the end of the year. Families worked from early morning to late at night to make a living. Money was very scarce. At this time Harleton had three cotton grin and yards with a covered shed. Many businesses were in line down the street on the north side; Knox Bros. Store, Peal's General, Massey Meat Market, Opera House, Taylor's General, Allen's Drug Store with doctor office in back, Post Office, Lewis Boyd's Barber Shop, John Fried's Garage with Miss Viola serving lunches on the east side, Mrs. Sawmill Jones Hamburger Joint, Boone Peterson's and Irene's Garage, and Kirk and Claude Knox's Store. On the south side was Ed Peteet's General Store with caskets upstairs, the Harleton Bank, Alec Boaze Barber Shop and an outdoor basketball court.

Joyce's daddy, Carl Mullis, worked in Taylor's General Store and her mother, Jewell Mullis, did the home chores. Her family was members of the Harleton Baptist Church. Her daddy was a deacon and her mother led the church music. She was in church every Sunday. Joyce was in the nursery with Aunt Carey Peteet. She would sit the children in a circle and tell us Bible Stories and they would sing, "Yes, Jesus Loves Me." Then they were given a 2x3 card with a picture on the front and a Bible verse on the back to carry home. Aunt Connie Dunn was her primary teacher and Miss Emma Boyd her junior teacher. July was always "Revival Time" for the Baptist and Methodist. The Methodist used the Peal Cotton Shed, which was on the east side, and the Baptist used the Peteet's Shed. Peteet's Cotton Shed was where the Harleton Baptist Church is in 2007. The pews and piano were carried from the churches to the sheds. There were morning and night services. Families would come in wagons, buggies, T models and walk. Joyce was twelve years old and was chosen as a Booster Bank leader. Feeling the need, she asked Jesus into heart the first night of revival in 1930. She was baptized in Taylor's pond. The W.M.U. made the ladies oilcloth dresses so that they would not rise in the water. Bro. George Lester, pastor led them into the water. That was a great day for her; she was one of God's Family. Joyce has always been a member of the Harleton Baptist Church, since 1930. Six generations of her family have been members of this church. She has taught Sunday school classes, Training Union, worked in W.M.U., Vacation Bible School, been church pianist, sang in the choir, and a member of the Harletones. The Lord touched Joyce and made her life wonderful and whole. She touched other people's lives and made them something special.

"Miss" Joyce is survived by her children, Sue and Ronnie Jones, Jimmy Carl and Jackie Oney, and Joy Oney; grandchildren, Kevin and Traci Jones, Debra Spatz, and Holly and Steve Laurel; great-grandchildren, Kristen and Mark Clifton, Adam and Abby Jones, Kenady Spatz, and Emilie Dondero; great-great-grandchildren, Reid, Owen, Halle Kate and Karis Clifton, and Aubrey Joy Jones.