Joyce Elaine Lawrence, 94, of rural Columbia City, passed away at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, September 25, 2026, at her home.

Born on July 13, 1932, in Whitley County, Indiana, she was the daughter of the late Joseph R. and Mildred P. (Harshman) Wilkinson. When she was a child, the family lived in Etna, Columbia, and Troy Townships before settling in Richland Township near Larwill. Joyce attended school at Larwill from first grade until she graduated from high school in 1950.

She began working at the Knepple Fruit Farm at age 9 or 10 and continued until 1958. She started out picking strawberries, but eventually learned how to do everything on the farm, including picking other kinds of fruit, setting trees, putting up fence, driving the tractor for cultivating and spraying, and selling fruit.

Other post-high school activities included church league softball, where she served as league secretary, and Whitley County Rural Youth, where she served as recreation leader for four years and met her future husband, Dale.

On March 14, 1959, she married Dale Eugene Lawrence of Spencerville. They made their home on a farm in Columbia Twp., where they raised three children and resided until their deaths this year.

Her Christian life was important to her. After marriage, she and Dale joined Trinity Methodist Church, which, after a 1968 merger, became Columbia City United Methodist Church (CCUMC). They taught the kindergarten Sunday school class for ten years. Joyce came to love singing in the choir, including the annual cantatas, and especially the post-rehearsal trips to McDonald’s with friends. She served on the Board of Trustees during the years when the church’s new facility was being built. After CCUMC moved to its current location, Joyce ran the sound system during services and often recorded the choir’s performances.

In 1976, Joyce became the custodian at CCUMC, where she was assisted by her children in the daily cleaning. She was also involved in setup for weddings, funerals, rummage sales, etc. In 1986, she moved to a position as the night custodian at Columbia City High School, where she retired in 1997.

She loved documenting family history, and she had a room called “the gallery” with photos, genealogy, stories, and news clippings. Over the years, her many other activities included square dancing, real estate investing, coaching, and refereeing. Her volunteer work included delivering for Meals on Wheels, sorting mail at the hospital, and serving on a parent-teacher organization committee. She loved visiting family, and time with her sisters Marilyn and Donna was particularly special to her.

As Joyce’s health declined, Dale became her main caregiver until his passing, after which her children took turns looking after her. She enjoyed watching Family Feud and Andy Griffith every evening.

Surviving are children Bruce Lawrence of Linthicum, MD, Mark (Patricia) Lawrence of Lancaster, PA, and Brenda (Tom) Hession of Carmel; grandchildren, Matthew Lawrence, Jonathan Lawrence, James Hession, and Anna Hession; sisters-in-law, Betty and Mary Wilkinson; and brothers-in-law, Emmett Pletcher and Fred Martz.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Dale; brothers Dayne, Max, Galen, Carroll, and Larry Wilkinson; and sisters Marilyn Pletcher and Donna Martz.

The funeral service is 10 a.m. on Saturday (Oct 3rd) at Smith & Sons Funeral Home, Columbia City, with visitation one hour prior. The burial is at Oak Grove Cemetery. Visitation is Friday (Oct 2nd) from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorials in Joyce’s honor are to the Columbia City United Methodist Church.