Joy Johnson Mull, 87, of Granite Falls, passed away Saturday, May 28, 2022 at Caldwell Memorial Hospital in Lenoir.
Born December 13, 1934 in Tientsin, China, she was the daughter of the late Col. William E. Johnson and Kitty Flowers Johnson.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Theodore (Ted) R. Mull and a sister, Claire Johnson Miller.
Joy's mother passed away when she was six weeks old. Major General William E. Johnson and his wife Claire had just lost their one day old infant and were able to adopt Joy as her father, believed to be an American soldier could not be located. After a three year tour of duty the couple returned to the US and were stationed in Washington, DC. After much red tape and a lengthy delay, little Joy stood, raising her right hand, she took the oath that made her, at the tender age of seven, a citizen of the United States. As her parents beamed proudly, the judge placed his hand on Joy's head. He rose to his feet and made this historic statement: "With this little child, seven years old, we establish a precedent in the courts of the United States of America. She is the first girl minor ever to be naturalized."
Joy was a graduate of Hickory High School and a member of First United Methodist Church. She did some modeling in New York city, worked at Greenpark School and Clyde's Fabrics. However, this classy lady was mostly a homemaker who reveled in being a wife and mother.
She is survived by her children: Michael T. Mull and wife Mitzi of Rhodhiss, Donna Joy Mull Pritchard and husband Steve of Hickory, Mark E. Mull and wife Linda of N. Wilkesboro; grandchildren: Matthew Mull, Logan Mull, Corey Mull, Alissa Mull, and Brandon Pritchard; step-grandchildren: Marty Davis, Natalie Davis; and fourteen great-grandchildren.
A private inurnment will be held in Oakwood Cemetery.
Bass-Smith Funeral Home in Hickory is serving the Mull family.
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