Joyce Ellen Pope

Joyce Ellen (Crewse) Pope went to be with the Lord on July 3, 2022. She was the daughter of the late Faye and Eldridge Crewse. Joyce was born on September 8, 1932 in Graff, Missouri.

She attended the Astoria School during her early years and graduated from Mountain Grove High School in 1949.

Joyce started her teaching career in the fall of 1949 in the rural schools around Mountain Grove, including Walnut Grove, Weatherman, and Mountain Valley until 1954. In 1951, she married Clifford W. Pope at her parent’s home and was blessed with two loving children, Nancy Ellen and Clifford “Bill”. Joyce taught two years of private kindergarten after Nancy was born. After both children were in school, she worked for thirty years in preschool at Mountain Grove Headstart.

In 1950, Joyce gave her heart to the Lord and joined the First Baptist Church of Mountain Grove. She loved her church family and held several positions. She taught Beginner’s Sunday School and Young Married Women’s Class. She also served as WMU president, church hostess, and choir member. She was glad to serve on various committees over the years, but the Building and Grounds committee during the construction of the new church on 17th Street was a highlight.

Joyce loved and treasured her family. She loved cooking and keeping her home. The Lord blessed her with one grandson, Jared Doty, the delight of her life. She loved the role of Grandma and told everyone how proud she was of him. She was his biggest supporter.

In September of 2008, she was blessed with a beautiful granddaughter-in-law, Jessica Copeland Doty. In 2013, her great-granddaughter, Piper Grace, was born and in 2014 her great-granddaughter, Breckyn Faith, was born. Both she loved and cherished.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Clifford, mother and father, Faye and Eldridge Crewse, in-laws, William and Olevia Pope, brothers, Rev. Gene Crewse, Farris Crawford, and Leonard Crewse.

She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Ellen (Pope) Doty, son, Clifford William “Bill” Pope, Jr., grandchildren, Jared Kyle Doty and Jessica Layne Copeland Doty, great-granddaughters, Piper Grace Doty and Breckyn Faith Doty, one brother and his wife, Jack and Naomi Crewse, three sisters-in-law, Helen Crewse, Marietha Crewse, and Clella Crawford, twenty nieces and nephews, sixteen great-nieces and nephews, and her church family.