Joyce Steel Hendricks

Joyce Steel Hendricks of New Braunfels, born January 2, 1937 in Anson, Texas, joined our Lord at the age of 79 on June 11, 2016. Survivors include her brother and his wife: C. E. "Gene" Steel and Anne of Spring, a nephew Gary L. Steel and his wife, M'Lissa and their children, Travis and his wife, Calynn, M'Kenzie, and Katie of New Braunfels; a niece Frances Steel Edwards and her husband, David of Victoria, and their children, Christopher, and his wife, Erin of Dallas, and Stephanie, and her husband, Lance Snider of College Station; a niece Julie Steel Laningham and her husband, Emory and their children, Russell and Rebecca of Houston; a step daughter Karen Hendricks De Vries and her husband, Roy of St Cloud, FL and grandchildren Kimberly Rio, Michael, and sons, Marcus and Austin Hatcher of Jacksonville, FL and Sarah Rio, Tom, and son, Anthony Hetler of Dixon, IL; and a step son James L. Hendricks, Jr. and his daughter, Lindsey, of Houston. Joyce was preceded in death by her husband, James L. Hendricks; her father, Herman Thell Steel; her mother, Gladys Propst Steel; her sister, Frances Mae Steel; and her grand stepson Brian Hendricks. She graduated from the Anson schools and attended Ranger Junior College, Texas Tech University, University of Houston, and Houston Community College. Later she taught life experience evening courses in finance and banking at the University of Houston and real estate related courses at accredited schools. Typing abstracts of title in the basement of Jones County Courthouse in Anson kicked off her business career. Thereafter she continued to work in the related fields of real estate, oil & gas, and legal and insurance services. In 1966 she became a real estate broker and started her own commercial business in Houston. 1969 she became a director of Home Savings Association of Dallas County and her active career continued: Chairperson and president of Ambassador General Insurance Agency, director of Liberty Bank of Houston; one of the original founders, manager, and chairperson of First American Title Company of Houston; director, executive vice president, and vice chairman of Republic Interiors, Property Dynamics, Inc. a real estate firm, First National Development Corporation, a land development company; Bankers Investment Building Corporation, a residential building company, and Alamo Insurance Agency, Inc., a local recording agent. In 1986 Joyce moved to New Braunfels and formed the J Steel Real Estate firm, sometime later merging with Hendricks and Associates, Inc. She served three terms as a director of the New Braunfels/Canyon Lake Association of Realtors, and served as the first chairperson of The New Braunfels Women's Chamber of Commerce. While serving on the Board of the Main Street Program, the City of New Braunfels, Joyce was responsible for the implementation of The Court of Honor, the walk surround at the Main Plaza, and of the downtown brick bordered new concrete sidewalks. Metaphorically speaking, when Joyce was the happiest, she was building bridges and blazing new trails. Highlights: In 1954 she was recruited by the scholarship to attend Ranger Junior College to help organize the newly formed Range Ann Marching Squad and served as head twirler and president In 1974, the Houston Financial Council for Women was founded by Joyce for the purpose of promoting financial awareness in women. The Council members remain active throughout Houston and the organization is a member of The Federation of Women. Also, in 1974, she founded the Westheimer Art Festival in Houston for the purpose of promoting and furthering the interests of all forms of art. After six festivals, the Westheimer Colony Association was gifted with the charter to assure the continuity of the festival. The festival survives in Houston under the name of the Bayou Arts Festival. In the early 1980's Joyce was crowned the Eternal Queen of the Realm within The Renaissance Festival Kingdom in Magnolia. She was one of the first two women to serve as a director of The Crime Stoppers of Houston, Inc., actively participated in Houston's Big/Little Sister Program, and appeared in the 1984 13th Edition of Who's Who of American Women. Under the name of Joyce Steel, she was a published author. Her greatest life experience, as she often expressed, was having written, through the gift of spiritual inspiration and revelation, the seven-volume work entitled The Son of Mary Chronicles. Recently there has been much interest over her writings and the first volume recently published. An important blessing was her marriage to James L. Hendricks. One of their joint endeavors was the development of a compound on the Bank of the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, which they named "The Splendors". After a fourteen-year stay in this paradisiac homestead and workplace, upon retirement, they located to a smaller nest in New Braunfels and were involved in church activities, hobbies, travel, friends and family. A memorial service in Joyce's honor will take place at one o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, June 24, 2016 at First Protestant Church, 172 W Coll St, New Braunfels, TX 78130. In lieu of customary remembrances, and for those desiring, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Joyce's name be directed to First Protestant Church of New Braunfels, or Hope Hospice, 611 N Walnut Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130.