Obituary of Lena Joyce Salyer

Joyce Salyer, 86 of Troup, passed away October 18, 2016 after a brief illness. Funeral services will be held 11:00 am, Friday, October 21, 2016 at Cottle Funeral Home Chapel. Reverend James Cheatham will be officiating, with interment to follow at Pinecrest Cemetery under the direction of Cottle Funeral Home, Troup. Joyce was born January 10, 1930 in Pampa, Texas to Louis S. Eastman and Lena Kirkham Eastman. According to Joyce she was born in the middle of a blizzard, which could be why she was always cold natured. Her dad's job with Gulf Oil brought her to Kilgore in the mid 1930's at the height of the East Texas oil boom. Their home was in the Gulf Oil Camp and she graduated from Leverett’s Chapel High School in 1948. Joyce and Ted met at Kilgore Jr. College and married May 30, 1953. Once again she was moving at the behest of an oil company, and the first place they settled was Kermit, Texas, where Gary and Scott were born. They later lived in Trinidad, West Indies, Caracas, Venezuela, and back home to Kilgore. They moved to Tyler in 1970 and co-founded L&L Asphalt, with one of the Ls referring to Lena. The next move was to Troup in 1983, where they lived until July, when Joyce and Ted moved to Atria on Copeland Road. She truly enjoyed her two months there before she fell ill. Joyce was a licensed cosmetologist. She was creative, artistic, and a wonderful cook, had every cooking gadget known to man and used them all. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Troup and volunteered at the library there for several years. She had a love for Christian books and radio. Joyce is predeceased in death by her parents, Louis S. Eastman and Lena Kirkham Eastman, and her brother Lou Eastman. Survivors include her husband, Ted Salyer of Troup; children, Gary Salyer & wife Rita of Troup and Scott Salyer & wife Toni of Carrollton; a grandson Trent and a granddaughter Peyton. The family will receive friends and loved ones Thursday, October 20, 2016 from 5-7 pm at Cottle Funeral Home, Troup. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to KBJS radio in Jacksonville, the library of First Baptist Troup, Hospice of East Texas, or Meals on Wheels East Texas.