Joyce E. Earle

Joyce Elaine Earle was born on March 27, 1932, in Prairieville Township, the daughter of Earl and Coral Anson (Teerpenning). She passed away at home on April 12, 2026, while under the care of Heartland Hospice, Portage, Michigan. 

She graduated from Plainwell High School in 1949. Joyce met Kenneth Earle at PHS, and they married after she attended Western Michigan University for one year. They built a home on East M-89 where they lived for 30 years, later moving to Zeeland, Michigan in the early 1990’s. Soon after, they settled back on Joyce’s woodland property near Pine Lake, living there for an additional 30 years. They were married 54 years until Ken’s passing in 2006. Also preceding her in death is her daughter Brenda Jo, brother, Marvin Anson and beloved pet Tucker. She is survived by her daughter, Vicky Earle Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and son Kevin (Bonnie Truax) Earle of Brown’s Summit, North Carolina.

Joyce was co-owner of Joyce’s Beauty Salon in downtown Plainwell for nearly 20 years. Afterwards she worked in the cosmetics department for Walgreen’s in both Kalamazoo and Plainwell. Joyce had failing health in recent years but in her young days, she was very involved in the local 4-H chapter teaching leathercraft. She loved to bake and cook, frequently combing through cookbooks for the next best cookie recipe. She was passionate about genealogy, following her lineage back several generations in the Delton and Pine Lake Area. Joyce was an avid rock hunter, taking family trips across the US in search of rock treasures to cut, polish and make jewelry. Her artistic side continued to shine brightly with her gourd crafts, growing, painting and decorating them to sell at craft fairs and workshops. She was a member of the Michigan Gourd Society. Joyce was an avid gardener and enjoyed canning and tending to her many flower beds. She loved decorating and celebrating Christmas with her family. Joyce had a warm, insightful and caring nature, always ready to help and comfort others. She was a wonderful and loving wife, mother, aunt and friend and will be missed dearly. 

Friends may visit with Joyce’s family starting at 12:00 P.M., Monday, April 20, 2026, at the Winkel Funeral Home, Otsego, until the time of the funeral service at 1:00 P.M., with Pastor Dan Minor officiating. A committal service will follow at Hillside Cemetery, Plainwell.

Contributions in memory of Joyce may be directed to Heartland Hospice, Portage, Michigan or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

Messages of condolence may be posted at www.WinkelFuneralHome.com.

This poem imagines a cardinal as a gentle whisper from a loved one, bringing messages of love and reassurance.

Cardinal Whisper

In the flutter of wings, a whisper heard,

A cardinal’s song, without a word,

From loved ones lost, a message stirred,

In their presence, the lines blurred.

In the garden, their memory lingers,

In the touch of feathered fingers,

Love’s message, where it hovers,

Cardinal whispers, from the other.