Joyce Crouch Coonce Wike, 94 of Taylorsville House, NC, entered heaven to meet her beloved Lord on Sunday, September 8th, 2024 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Born on May 25th, 1930 on the “mill hill” in Caldwell County, NC, she was the second daughter of the late Raymond S. and Esther Triplett Crouch.
Nineteen days before her fifth birthday, Joyce’s mother died, leaving five children from eleven days to six years old. Joyce remembered being sent to a neighbor’s house, sitting on the front porch swing, and eating a piece of cornbread as the neighbor gently told the children that their mother was dead. As they watched, a hearse pulled up, and they saw their mother being taken away. Esther was just 23 years old.
Joyce’s primary job at home was taking care of five of her young siblings, who adored her. Her stepmother, Lona (Bowman) Crouch gave her $1 a week for this. Joyce used that money to pay for school supplies. Joyce sewed her own clothes, and had two blouses and two skirts in high school. By borrowing two outfits from her sister, Edith, she was able to create two more. A bona-fide country girl, Joyce could drive a tractor, chop wood, and tend a big garden.
Joyce was a 1948 graduate of Taylorsville High School, where she played softball and sang in the Glee Club. Upon graduation, she moved to Winston-Salem to work as a telephone operator. However, love had other plans: within the year, she moved back to the Bethlehem community of Alexander County to marry Partee Coonce, Jr. “Junior” on March 25, 1949. Longtime neighbors, Junior often cut through adjacent fields to visit Joyce’s brother, Lester. He grew fond of Joyce, and one day when they were twelve years old, accompanied her to grandmother’s house. Amid the tall corn stalks, he stopped abruptly, and kissed Joyce squarely on the lips!
From 1952-1956, Junior and Joyce lived in San Diego, California, while he served in the U.S. Navy. Junior was sometimes gone to sea as long as nine months. Joyce loved life on the base, quickly making friends with the other Navy wives, visiting the beach, trading recipes, and babysitting their children. She was even in an earthquake once! Joyce and Junior returned to Alexander County when he was discharged March 25, 1956. Their daughter, Melody Diane, was born December 24, 1956. More than anything, Joyce loved being a mother, and she was a wonderful one.
Professionally, Joyce encouraged Junior to start his own business, A-1 Refrigeration, in 1962. Joyce kept the books. She was also a secretary for Prudential insurance, Frye Hospital operating room, and Forest City Tool. Additionally, she worked for Home Instead as a CNA, volunteered at Head Start, and was active in Altrusa Businesswomen’s Club. At CVCC in 1975, Joyce earned the first dual secretarial degree in the school’s history.
Joyce accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Savior at age twelve at Antioch Baptist Church, and was active in the choir. She taught Sunday school and VBS at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, and was active in women’s circle, Christian Women’s Club, and bible studies at the Cove and Ridgecrest. Her devoted prayer life and bible study were evident by the hundreds of highlighted pages in her bible. It was Joyce’s desire that every person should come to know Jesus Christ and the joy that He brings.
Joyce loved music. She was a self-taught (and proficient) guitarist and pianist. Late in life, she learned to play the dulcimer and began writing songs. One of these, “Stand Up, America,” was a finalist for the National Day of Prayer. Joyce also excelled at ball-room dancing, sewing, and baking. In the 1980’s, she developed a successful small business, making pound cakes and cream cheese braids. The epitome of a southern woman, Joyce was soft-spoken, feminine, compassionate, and a great hostess. A wonderful listener, she drew people to her with her quiet manner and wise advice.
Junior passed away in 1983, and Joyce became re-acquainted with her high school sweetheart, Jack Wike, in 1993. They were married in 1995, and enjoyed traveling and working in their large garden. Joyce loved the view of Barrett’s mountain from their back porch. Jack passed away in 2019.
Joyce is survived by her daughter, Melody Frizsell (Clarence) of Hickory; granddaughter, Bethany Therrell (David); great-granddaughters Kinsley, Molly, Isabelle, and Bayleigh Therrell; half-sister, Doris Duncan; half-brother Steve Crouch (Donna); sisters-in-law, Doris Carrigan (Glen), Donna Crouch (Steve), and Carol Crouch; nieces Ruth Ann Jolly (Sam), Debra Von Plinksky (Andrew), Brenda Jones (Tom), Donna Hollar, Cherriee Lattimore (Rusty), Janet Bolick (Rodney), Vickie Hefner (Jeff), Gina Bell (Tom), Susan Kirby (Terry), Cathy Hickerson (Lynn), Meredith Crouch, Lauren Crouch, Raye Jean Grindstaff, Pamela Scott (David), and Jackie Sue Walston (Ray); nephews Dennis Ritchie (Carolyn), Jimmy Crouch (Vickie), Jeffrey Austin (Martha), Jeffrey Crouch (Felicia), Michael Crouch (Hannah), and Chris Crouch.
Besides her parents and step-mother, Joyce was preceded in death by her grandparents, Dink and Miriam (Johnson) Crouch, and William and Miner (Hawkins) Triplett, sisters Edith Ritchie and Mildred Duncan, brothers Lester “Bud” Crouch and Kenny Ray “Buck” Crouch, half-brothers Arnold Crouch and Larry Dean Crouch, and nieces Joani Dunigan and Renee Crouch.
The family will receive friends at Catawba Funeral Home, 3060 Hwy. 70 SE, Hickory, NC, on Wednesday, September 11 at 1:00pm, with the funeral immediately following at 2:00pm. Pastor Jeff Brown will be officiating. Burial will follow the service at Catawba Memorial Park.
Memorials may be made to Maiden High School Band Boosters, PO Box 648, Maiden, NC 28650, or Christy’s Courage, 13504 Norlington Ct., Charlotte, NC 28273.
The family would like to express our appreciation for the compassion and care provided by the Taylorsville House staff, as well as Carolina Caring; special thanks to Cherri Scronce, R.N.
Condolences may be left at www.catawnamemorialpark.com.
The Wike Family is under the care of Catawba Memorial Park, Funerals & Cremations.
