Funeral services will take place on Saturday, October 8, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel of the Taylor Funeral Home with Bro. Jim Spivey, Bro. Terry Bear, and Bro. Rick Lyles officiating. Interment will follow in the Gillin Cemetery in White Bluff. Visitation with the family will be on Friday, October 7, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service. To view a live stream of Mrs. Caruthers' service, Click HERE.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Camp Hickory Hills.
Elizabeth Joyce Caruthers, age 84, passed away Sunday, October 2, 2022, at her home in Rockvale, Tennessee, surrounded by her loved ones. She was proceeded in death by her parents, Cam and Jewell McCutchen and brother, J.C. McCutchen.
She is survived by her loving husband of 66 years, Marion Caruthers; sons, Bruce Caruthers and his wife Sheree of Shelbyville, TN, Marty Caruthers and his wife Susan of Big Sandy, TN; daughter, Shawn White and her husband Donnie of Rockvale, TN; grandchildren, Adam (Jillian) Caruthers, Alex (Bree) Caruthers, Elisa (Kenny) Snow, Hannah Caruthers, Rebekah (Jordan) Caruthers, Sarah (Hunter) Caruthers, Haley (Jason) Griffin, and Hayden White; great-grandchildren, Alexia, Corbin, Mady, Laney, Mason, Brantley, Cashton, and Kohen Caruthers, Lane, Cam, Ryanne, and Irelyn Snow, Matilda Pope, and Haven Griffin.
Also surviving is Joyce’s brother-in-law, Vernon (Sharon)Caruthers that Marion and Joyce brought into their home and raised as one of their own. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews, cousins and by her loving dog, Jack.
The family would like to thank her caregivers that treated her like an angel, Evelyn Santiago and Carmen Ruiz. Also, a special thanks for Avalon Hospice for their excellent care at the end of her life.
Joyce was born to Cam and Jewell McCutchen on January 23, 1938, in White Bluff, Tennessee. As a little girl, she loved to play outside with her brother, J.C. When Joyce was 15 years old, she was sitting underneath a tent at a church revival when a young man, named Marion Caruthers, peeped through the tent and saw her and told his buddy--- “I’m going to marry her.” On May 17, 1956, Joyce graduated from William James High School in White Bluff and the very next night, Marion made true to that promise and married Joyce in her parents living room. Soon after, he left for deployment to the Philippines, and they wouldn’t see each other for 2 years. While Marion was gone, Joyce and her Mama prayed for his salvation. Their prayers were eventually answered when Marion gave his life to God and was called into the ministry with Joyce by his side. They pastored churches for the Church of God of Prophecy in West and Middle Tennessee for 42 years. During those 42 years of pastoring, they also loved to serve every summer at Camp Hickory Hills Youth Camps.
During all the years of ministry, Joyce served in every possible capacity of church activity from volunteering and serving as mission leader to Sunday school superintendent and everything in between. The thing she excelled in the most was as the kitchen chairman. She could organize church dinners and banquets like no one else and they were always a huge success. Joyce also served her community by becoming a substitute teacher for Big Sandy School in the 1970s and the early 1980s. Joyce opened her home to many evangelists and their spouses and loved to prepare delicious meals for them. Her favorite past time was cooking, and she could take $100.00 and make it last for two weeks and manage to cook meals that you can’t seem to dream of getting in the best “meat and 3” restaurants around. She also enjoyed attracting all varieties of wild birds, especially red birds and hummingbirds to her many containers of flowers that she pampered all season long. Her collection of angels and knick-knacks could make any place they moved to feel like home.
Her children and grandchildren were the apples of her eye, and nothing made her happier than to have them come to visit and for her to make her famous M&M birthday cake. The love of her life and what she lived and fought so hard for was her precious Marion. She took such good care of him and has definitely earned her angel wings.
