Nelda Joyce Lassiter

NEELYVILLE, Mo. — Nelda Joyce Lassiter (née Bull), 74, of Naylor, Mo., died on Saturday, June 22, 2019 in Poplar Bluff.

Joyce was born on August 23, 1944 in Perryville, Ark., the youngest of the seven children of Lawrence and Iva Bull. When she was quite young, the family moved to Campbell, Mo., where Joyce graduated from Campbell High School in 1962. After high school, she moved with her parents to Current View, Mo. and soon found a job working at the bank in Doniphan where she applied her excellent clerical and mathematical skills. On September 10, 1966, she married Garry Lassiter and they soon established a successful family farm in Naylor while raising two daughters, Susan and Julie. Joyce used her superior bookkeeping skills to manage the farm accounts and run an organized and comfortable home for her family. Known for her keen wit and excellent home cooking, Joyce also pursued numerous craft and artistic endeavors and was talented at crocheting and sewing, making many of the school clothes and formal dresses her daughters wore. In her later years, Joyce enjoyed visiting her grandchildren and attending their various activities and sporting events and keeping up with family and friends on Facebook. Joyce loved to laugh and reminisce about her childhood days and especially enjoyed telling those wonderful family stories to her beloved children and grandchildren.

Joyce is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 52 years, Garry; her daughters, Susan Shortt (Mark) and Julie Tharp; her grandchildren, Brett Tharp, Shayna Tharp, Steven Shortt, and Nathan Shortt; her brother, Bob Bull and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Visitation will be at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 25 at Fowler and Sons Funeral Home in Neelyville. The funeral will follow at 11 a.m.

Paid