Obituary of Joyce Arlene Burnett

Joyce Arlene (Bourne) Burnett was born in Enid, Oklahoma, on June 11, 1952, to Everett and Roselle Bourne. She passed sweetly into her Savior’s arms on August 17, 2015. She was preceded in death by her parents Everett & Roselle. She is survived by her daughter, Emily Ann Burnett, her oldest sister, Marilyn (and James) Schmidt, her youngest sister, Donna (and Michael) Hill, and several nieces and nephews. Joyce spent 2 years of her early life at Shriner’s Hospital being treated for hip dysplasia. She was later treated at the Institute of Logopedics in Wichita, KS, for speech and balance difficulties that occurred at birth and as a result of years spent at Shriner’s Hospital. Her life was a testament to overcoming multiple difficulties that a person may face in life. Joyce graduated from Wichita East High School, attended Brown Mackie Business School and worked as a clerk typist for the State of Kansas. She also worked for the First National Bank in Newton, KS as a key punch operator, and later assisted her husband as custodian for the Linwood Church of the Nazarene in Wichita, Kansas, where she and Gary attended. She married Gary Burnett in 1975 and gave birth to Emily Ann in 1980. She later divorced in 2000 and moved to Washington State after her mother passed away in 2001. Joyce had many surgeries in her life, and finally could no longer manage without special assistance. She had experiences in different assisted and long-term care facilities in Washington and Idaho, but in each situation she made many friends and brought love and sunshine to those around her. Her faith in Jesus Christ and her hope for a new and restored body was her dream and consolation for the very difficult life she suffered in this earth. She considered the dates she was reborn and baptized as the most important dates of her life. She shared her faith openly and now would like to share with all of you even at this moment that it is a time for rejoicing as she has finally arrived home.