Keathley earns award and resolution for volunteer work

When something needs to be done, Joyce Keathley’s friend and neighbors always say, “Joyce will do it.”

Keathley’s actions haven’t gone unnoticed. She recently received a 2024 Lieutenant Governor Senior Service Award.

“I thought I was going to a meet and greet,” she said, until Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and Sen. Jason Bean of District 25 told the crowd, “We are here to honor someone.”

Keathley kept listening and realized they were talking about her.

“It was a total surprise,” said Keathley, who described being honored as a lifetime achievement.

Kehoe said, “Joyce Keathley is known in Carter County for her generosity, her creativity, and her selflessness. Those who know Joyce say she leads by example, with love and a servant’s heart.

“Joyce’s passion for serving others is evident through her work at the Carter County Nutrition Center and the First Baptist Church of Van Buren,” he continued. “I am honored to present her with this award along with state Sen. Jason Bean. Congratulations, Joyce.”

Bean, who has known Keathley for years, nominated her for the award.

“Earlier, I nominated Carter County’s Joyce Keathley for the award. Recently, we were able to surprise her during a visit to Van Buren and announce and present a resolution recognizing her selection as an award winner. Joyce has spent countless hours supporting her community by donating her time and many talents, and I’m proud to call her a friend,” he said.

Keathley lives in Carter County, but her volunteer efforts include Butler County, where she formally lived.

She volunteers at the Carter County Nutrition Center, delivering food to shut-ins, and the First Baptist Church of Van Buren, where she is on the hospitality committee and assists with vacation Bible school.

Once or twice a week, she drives to Poplar Bluff to help at the historic Rodgers Theatre.

When David Keathley, her late husband, closed his law practice in Poplar Bluff, the family moved to Van Buren and she continued driving to town for two years to run her business Silk and Lace.

She enjoyed her business because she was able to help “a lot of girls.”

“I am a people person,” Keathley said.

She added by helping others, one receives much.

When the Rodgers Theatre board was planning a fundraising auction, Keathley decided to help by donating one of her oil paintings.

“They were having a board meeting and they asked me to stay,” she said. “Before I left, I was on the board. I saw a need to help bring back the grand old lady.”

Keathley at one time designed and made show jackets for entertainers in Branson and Nashville.

She’s also completed a cookbook entitled, “Sure, I Can Boil Water.”

“I had three boys in college,” she said. “One was a freshman, a sophomore and a senior. They would call and ask how to make things. I started collecting fast, easy and economical recipes. I decided to put them in a book.”

Keathley’s three children include Clint Sturgeon, who attended the event with her, and the late Stahl Sturgeon, and the late Wade Sturgeon.