Joyce L. Edwards' Obituary
Joyce L. Edwards was born on August 31,1949 in beautiful, Miami, Florida. She is the oldest girl and second oldest of ten children, five girls and five boys born to Leonard and Mary Adside. Growing up, she was such a beautiful girl with beautiful long red hair and pretty brown eyes. Joyce was quite personable, and many admired her inward and outward beauty greatly. With such a beautiful voice, she was the lead singer in a quartet, The Danielettes, consisting of her sister Shirley, her two cousins, and herself from the ages of 13-15. Joyce formed the group after their father, Leonard, who was a member of “The Sons of Daniel.” Joyce was not afraid to sing or perform at all in front of an audience. As children, they went to St. Paul Baptist Church and to summer Bible school. A Missionary, Julia, would also come over to the house to have Bible study with them and some of the neighborhood kids. Julia would ask the children to pray, and Joyce would always pray the longest. Joyce started early with her gifts! Later on, in her early twenties, Joyce did some modeling. She was quite impressive! Growing up in the knowledge, love, and word of God, Joyce gave her life to the Lord in 1980 while stationed at Nellis Air Force Base (her husband, Timothy Edwards, was in the USAF) in Las Vegas, Nevada. She had a complete passion to fulfill the will and calling of God on her life. She learned and grew so much at the Full Gospel House of Deliverance. She became very excited about ministering the love of God to others especially to her siblings being that one of her desires, as she often said, was to see them all walk in love with each other. She spent hours on the phone praying with, minsitering to, and counseling her siblings and family. She loved her family tremendously and unconditionally. They really looked up to her thus the name, “The General,” her father later in life began sometimes referring to her as. It just gave her so much joy as she watched them grow closer to Him! Shortly after being stationed at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida in 1982 and becoming ordained ministers, Joyce and Tim began the Fruit of the Spirit Ministry. Along with Joyce’s sister, Christine, and Christine’s husband, Oliver, they ministered fervently. Joyce stepped out powerfully in what would probably seem ahead of her time for some. God moved mightily through her! Lives were transformed, and the lasting effects are still talked about and felt today! From 1991-1995, while stationed at Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa, Japan, Joyce worked as R.E. Coordinator on Kadena Air Force Base, served on Women’s AGLOW, held Bible Studies, and served diligently in the Kadena Base Chapel. She has dear friends from Okinawa as well as other places from around the world that she has kept in touch with over the years. Joyce and Tim moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1995 where she attended Oral Roberts University Ministry Training and Devleopment Institute where she graduated with a Diploma in Charismatic Ministry. She also attended Rhema Bible Training Center. Through Ambassador of His Glory Ministries, she held life changing women’s conferences. She was always so grateful for those that ministered, attended, and helped out in any way. Joyce was currently a member of Rock Church. Joyce absoutely adored and was so proud of each of her five children, and she talked about them with just about everyone she came in contact with! She was always so excited to tell about how they loved her and would all bless her in so many ways as well! One example would be when she excitedly shared, “I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, lived there for years but have never been to Disney World! Well, my Son #1 took us all to Disney World! We had a great time!” She lived an exemplerary Godly life before them. She taught them what spiritual maturity means.She prayed over them day and night, anointed them with oil, and had them say the 23rd Psalm daily before going to school. She also taught them that the most important beauty is inward beauty through Godly character. She loved and planted powerful seeds in her grandchildren’s lives as well. Joyce left a legacy that will be carried on for generations to come! On August 15th, at about 10:45 pm, the Ambassador For His Glory received her ever so deserving reward!!! Cancer may have attacked her body but never her spirit!!! Joyce stood strong, praised Him, ministered, counseled, and was there for many others, even during the year she battled the disease. She let her light shine to the very end/beginning- nurses, doctors, and all! No words could ever express what she means, has been, and stood for to her family, friends, and countless others! The angels in heaven are rejoicing! Her work on Earth was done! And what she has instilled in us all, through God’s infinite wisdom, will live on and on through generations to come!!! She is loved, adored, and missed dearly!!! Joyce is preceded by her mother and father Mary and Leonard Adside; and her brother Nathaniel Adside and other dear family members. She is survived by her husband of 30+ years, Timothy Edwards of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; her children, George Crawford Jr.(wife Pamela) of Arafin, Kuwait; Tonya Crawford of Richmond, VA; Marcell Crawford (wife Tyla) of Gainesville, VA; LaVar Edwards (wife Jeanna) of Lawrencville, GA; and Timethia Edwards of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; her siblings Johnnie Jefferson (wife Shirlene); Bobby Adside (wife Tina); Shirley Pervis; Leonard Adside Jr.; Joanne Johnson; Curtis Adside; Christine Holbert (Husband Oliver); Sheila Adside; Addtional Siblings: Latria Bryant and Latina Jones; Grandchildren: Tevin Crawford, Marcell Crawford Jr., Tiffany Crawford, Mariah Crawford, Dorian Crawford, Destiny Edwards, Paris Crawford, Jasmine Crawford, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts, family, and friends too numerous to name but all so very special! Visitation will be held 2:00-9:00 PM Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at Floral Haven Funeral Home. A Celebration of Life will be held 12:30 PM Wednesday, August 22, 2012 at Floral Haven Funeral Home Chapel.
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