Joyce Ayers

Joyce Ione Ayers, 84, formerly of New Minden, IL, and Taylorville, IL, passed away on April 5, 2024, at Pana Health and Rehab Center in Pana, IL. She was born on May 19, 1939, in Zenia, IL, the third child and first daughter of Doyle and Stella Ritter Mulvaney. On August 31, 1958, she married the love of her life, Ernest Everett Ayers, in the Methodist Church in New City, and they spent 65 happy years together.
Joyce attended various schools during her childhood until her family settled in Edinburg, where she completed 5th through 11th grade. Following her completion of 11th grade, she moved in with a family on Lake Springfield as a nanny. While living in Springfield, she finished her final year of high school at Ball Township/Glenwood High School.
Caring for children came naturally to Joyce. She had learned domestic and childcare duties from the early age of five. Being one of eight children, she had several younger siblings that she loved to help care for. At the age of ten, she began cleaning houses for neighbor ladies. Because laws did not prevent it at the time, she started working as a waitress at Helen's Diner in Edinburg after school and on the weekends. Shortly after her high school graduation, Joyce secured employment with Horace Mann Insurance and Lindley Florists in Springfield. After she and Everett married, she loved being a homemaker, farmer's wife, and mother to three daughters.
From 1986-1988, she worked at Christian County ASCS and in 1990, she became an independent Fuller Brush Distributor. She was an avid member of the First United Methodist Church of Taylorville. Joyce was a devoted and loving mother to their three daughters, sons-in-law, and a caring grandmother to her grandchildren. She was a warm-hearted grandma who was extremely proud of her grandchildren, just as she was with her children. She saw each of them as a gift from the Lord. Joyce was a caregiver at heart and cared for a younger brother as well as her parents, or anyone else in need, and put other's needs before her own.
Strong values and character traits were of immense importance to her and Everett, as they walked through every day as a team, guiding their children in Godly ways and love. Because of her varied interests, Joyce saw herself in each of her daughters and proudly watched them grow into caring women.
Joyce is survived by her husband, Everett Ayers; daughters, Bonita Davis; Anita (Kenneth) Ayers Henderlight; son-in-law, David Crowder; grandchildren, Brandon (Leah) Davis; Blake (Stevi) Davis; Brooke Davis; Elliott (Andrea) Crowder; Jolena Crowder; great-grandchildren, Camden Davis; Lucas Davis; Finley Davis; Elise Davis; Lila Davis; sister, Judy Prasun; brothers, Merle Mulvaney; Verle Mulvaney; Don Mulvaney; sister-in-law, Jennie Lou Ayers; as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers, Dale and Gale Mulvaney, sister, Janice Hunt, sister-in-law, Bonnie Mulvaney, brothers-in-law, William Jesse Ayers and Duane Hunt, and daughter, Rita Kathleen Ayers Crowder.
A visitation will be held on Friday, April 12, 2024, from 1:00-2:00 p.m. at Sutton Memorial Home in Taylorville, IL. A funeral service will begin at 2:00 p.m. with Retired Reverend Scott Wilbur officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
The family expresses special appreciation for Cindy Diss who visited often during Joyce's illness and kept her company.
Memorials in Joyce's honor may be made to the First United Methodist Church of Taylorville.