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Following 30 years of service as a Salvation Army officer, Major Joyce Stevenson received her certificate of retirement from Commissioners Kurt and Alicia Burger at a recent service at the Torrance (Calif.) Corps.
Joyce Stevenson was born at the Salvation Army Grace Hospital in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. A third generation Salvationist, her paternal grandparents were officers in the late 1800s and served under William Booth. Her parents were active soldiers of Windsor Citadel, where Joyce was dedicated. She participated in many corps programs including Brownies, junior band, singing company, songsters and Young People’s Legion (YPL) and was a primary Sunday school teacher.
In 1963 Stevenson immigrated to the United States to work with A/Captains Don and Dorothy McDougald in Burbank, Calif. Her responsibilities included office work, organizing the youth activities, selling the War Cry each week and even driving the canteen serving personnel during the fires.
Later she worked for Strato Engineering, a Burbank aerospace company, for seven years. Next she served as the welfare caseworker at the San Bernardino Corps under Majors Clancy and Vera Elliott.
Joyce responded to the call to officership in 1977. She was commissioned in 1979 as part of the Joyful Evangelists Session and appointed as the assistant corps officer at Santa Rosa, Calif.
Other appointments included: program director—Fresno Silvercrest; corps officer—Visalia, Calif.; special services—S an Francisco DHQ; head cashier, Finance Department, and assistant to the territorial finance secretary—THQ; Personnel Department—officer health services director—THQ; retired officers’ services director—THQ.
Looking back over the past 30 years, Joyce relates how God placed special people in her life—people who nurtured her and helped in difficult situations. She is thankful to God for the privilege of Salvation Army officership.
In retirement her home will be in Peoria, Arizona.
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