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Joyce Ellen Parks Lacey, 81, of Rocksprings, Texas died October 11, 2006 at the Hill Country Care Center in Junction, Texas. She was born April 6, 1925 in San Saba, Texas to Roy and Kate Parks.
She and Russell Martin Lacey were married December 29, 1941 at the Rocksprings Courthouse by the judge. Martin preceded her in death November 2000 and a baby boy preceded her in 1951.
She is survived by her four children: Lillie Ruth Havlak and husband B.J. of St. LaRance, Texas; June Hale and husband Mark of Rocksprings; Rusty Lacey and wife Vickie of Columbia, South Carolina and Tim Lacey of Emory, Texas: three sisters and one brother: Alex Parks and Dogie Lacey both of Barksdale, Texas; Jean Pannell of Gardenville, Texas and Thelma LaTrial of San Antonio, Texas; 13 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren, 9 great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews too great to count.
She was baptized into the Church of Christ by Roland Fry in 1956 or 1957. She worked for the Rocksprings School Cafeteria for years and was a great friend and foster mother to lots of children. She will be missed by a great many people who loved and took care of her.
“May she rest in peace with our heavenly Father now as she is truly free of pain and sorrow. Rest in peace Mother, Grandmother and friend to all.”
Graveside services were held Sunday, October 15, 2006 in the Barksdale Cemetery in Barksdale with Bro. C. A. Sweeten officiating.
Honorary pallbearers were Buddy Evans, Kenneth Sorrells, James Sorrells and Vicente Vega.
Pallbearers were Kevin Parks, Roy Parks, Christopher Haggerton, Steve Parks, Jr., Kevin Godwin, Brian Godwin, Marlin Parks and Jacob Parks.
Arrangements were in care of Nelson Funeral Home of Camp Wood, Texas.
A Special Man...
“He gave us the Greatest Gift anyone can give....Love”
By Lindsay Merritt and Lanie Vickers
A great man went to heaven last week....our stepfather, Wallace Reid “Red” Johnson. Since 1981, Red had been a special part of our lives. From the very beginning we loved him and we knew he loved us. When we were teenagers, Red and Mom would take a suburban with us and our friends dancing at Criders. We think we even went on their first date.
When we became old enough to go out on our own, Red would always say, “Do you need anything, Baby? Do you have money?” And always, “I love you.”
It seemed as if Red lived several lives before he came into ours. He had grown up a west Texas ranch kid, served as a U.S. Marine, a Houston fire fighter, worked as a business owner in Kerrville and had two grown children of his own. Still, he fit into our family immediately.
Red genuinely cared about other people, and he had more friends than anyone we know. People would ask us, “How’s Red doing?” and to please let him know they were thinking about him.
We met his son, George and daughter-in-law, Susan, when they were expecting their son Ryan, who is now 24 years of age. Red’s children and grandchildren were the light of his life. We blended families and loved one another as if we had always been together. Mom and Red kept Ryan as much as his parents would allow. Red wanted him to be the best young man he could be. Ryan has grown up to be a great person, and Red was so proud of him.
Red never thought of us as his stepdaughters or thought of Susan as a daughter-in-law; we were his “special daughters.”
He never tried to parent us...he just loved us. He has always been our RED or ROJO as we lovingly called him.
For 25 years, Red has been a big part of our lives. He has seen us through junior high, high school, college and adult life. He moved us both more times than we can count. He has always taken care of us and he has always taken care of our mom.
It seems the names RENA and RED just went together. Together, they built a house, ran a business, moved to a new community and danced a million miles. Red had lots of serious health problems over the last few years. Every time we would get that dreaded phone call from Mom at the hospital, we would expect the worst. But Red was tough. He endured the pain, surgeries, treatment and he never stopped loving life, our Mom, his friends, his family or his daily trips into town.
When Red got a second chance to be a grandfather with Luke, Cade and Sarah, his life was extended. That man loved us as his special daughters, but those grandkids were HIS...Every time he went into the hospital, he had to get well to see those grandchildren. No matter how sick he became, his face lit up with love in seeing them. He will always be their Pa. They love Pa just as much as he did them. Even though they are too young to have specific memories of him, we will keep him alive in their hearts with fond memories.
Red battled cancer for the last two years and even though we did finally lose him, we were prepared. When God took him, we know heaven was blessed and that Red was happy to meet Jesus, his Lord and Saviour. Red can now see his son whom we lost seven years ago. Ryan says, “It is time for Grandpa to boss around Dad for a while. Lord knows he has bossed us enough”
Red Johnson gave us the greatest gift anyone can give...LOVE. He was a great husband, father, grandfather, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle and friend. We will miss him very much.