Joy Lee Boswell Merrill, youngest child of Grover Cleveland Boswell and Rosa Lee Elbert Boswell was born June 28, 1926 at the family home on 1520 W. Terrell in Fort Worth, Texas. Her mother was a beloved art and music teacher in Fort Worth. Her father was a manager at Montgomery Ward. Joy had two older sisters, Billy Brown Boswell White (born in 1920) and Beverly Jean Boswell McKee (born in 1922). Joy’s parents divorced in 1929. Joy was raised by her mother and says about her, “She taught us love of family, respect for others, to love the Lord and live by His principles, all the things we needed to grow up and be happy, well-adjusted people.” They lived in a duplex owned by a loving woman, Ceal, who became like a grandmother to the family. She made special treats for them for the holidays and watched out for them. Ceal had a shed in the backyard that Joy and her sisters made into a clubhouse for neighborhood kids. After Joy graduated from high school, her older sister Beverly arranged for her to go to school where she trained to be an air traffic controller. She also saved up her money and took flying lessons and got her pilot’s license. During World War II, she worked as an air traffic controller in New Mexico, California and finally in San Antonio, Texas, where she met her future husband, Van Matthew Merrill, who was a Captain in the Army Air Corps. He went with Joy to Fort Worth to meet her family and they decided to get married after the family met Van. Joy and Van were married for 60 years. Joy was a homemaker and Van was a pharmacist. They had five children, Van Jr., Linda, Mary, Gayle and Barbara. Joy had a lot of fun with her children when they were growing up. Joy loved playing board games and card games with them, making homemade taffy with them, and teaching them to make crafts and sew. They went to a lot of drive-in movies for fun, where they would take grocery bags full of homemade popcorn to enjoy during the movie! Joy took in four children when she was in her 50’s, Angela Marsh-Dover, Joey Marsh, Jesse Larson and Halle Larson, because they needed love and support; she became a second mother to them. She maintained a special relationship with them throughout her life. Joy is survived by 5 children, 13 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren. She will be remembered for her unconditional love for her family, her generosity of spirit, and her heart to serve others. Joy moved to Auburn Ravine Terrace in March 2017 and went to be with the Lord there on October 3, 2021.