Joyce Sprecker

Joyce Ann Calkins Sprecker was born on April 7, 1933 at Tescott, Kansas. Her parents were Melvin and Esther Calkins. She has a younger sister Delores Gould, Salina, KS.

Joyce graduated from Salina High School May 1951 Salina Kansas. She graduated from Brown-Mackie School of Business, Salina in 1952 and worked for the Salina School System as a secretary for the Director of Elementary Education and later for the Director of Secondary Education.

She also attended Central Bible Institute and Seminary in Springfield, Missouri, 1953-1954.

In October 1955 Joyce came to Goodland, Kansas and was involved with radio and television for nine years working at KLOE, formerly KWGB and KBLR in Goodland, then at KSAL in Salina, Kansas. At both KBLR and KSAL she was a host for a homemaker’s call-in program which she enjoyed.

Joyce was active in children’s and youth work in the First Assembly of God Church, Salina, Kansas from the age of 13 on. After arriving in Goodland, she was active in the music an in outreach ministries of Calvary Gospel Church. After her marriage, she was in the music ministry at the Pilgrim Holiness Church until their move to Salina, Kansas in 1962 for two years. After their move back to Sherman County and to the family farm, the Spreckers attended the Burlington Assembly of God Church. After retirement and the move to Goodland, they once again attended Calvary Gospel.

Joyce and David Sprecker were married on April 6, 1958. David and Joyce were involved with the family farm South of Ruleton and Kanorado until retirement March 1995 when they moved to 610 Arcade, Goodland, Kansas.

Joyce loved children’s work and as soon as their three boys were in school, became a volunteer classroom teacher’s aide in the USD 352 Goodland. Before beginning her employment in the School Administration Office in 1984, she had accumulated over 9,000 hours of volunteer classroom work. She received state recognition of her work as a “Special Friend of Education”.

Joyce retired from the School Administration Building in April 1996. She enjoyed retirement pursuing her own personal hobbies that had been postponed for many years, reading, sewing, quilting, knitting and cooking.

Joyce was preceded in death by her father, mother, sister and infant daughter. Surviving family includes her husband David, three sons, David Jr. (Katherine), Americus, Kansas, Richard (Lori), San Marcos, Texas, James (Debbie) of Underwood, IA., nine grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.