Joy Pennock Gage

Joy Pennock Gage passed away suddenly on April 30, 2016, from injuries sustained in a fall. She was born June 7, 1930 in the Missouri Ozarks, and was the second child of B.F. and Jurine Pennock. Her siblings were an older brother, Ron, and a younger sister, Faye. Joy was a graduate of BIOLA, and a former mentor for Jerry Jenkins\u0027 Christian Writers Guild. While working with the Guild she had students on four continents and six different countries. The author of twenty books, she also contributed to many anthologies and magazines, and co-authored books with her husband Ken, and with Ted Engstrom, president emeritus of World Vision. Several of her books have been translated into other languages. As a conference speaker she spoke throughout the continental United States, as well as Hawaii and Canada. Joy had a passion for teaching aspiring writers, whether in groups or one on one. She served on the critique committee and/or faculty for the Mt. Hermon Christian Writers conference for twenty consecutive years. She was the founding president of Northern Arizona Word Weavers, a writers group which meets once a month in a local church. Joy and her husband Ken spent five years in rural mission work, two of which were in a logging camp. They also ministered in churches in California, Oregon and Arizona. Joy is survived by her daughters Becki (Don) Luna and Jlorene Gage; granddaughters Chelsie (Devon) Brown and Kalei Luna, great grandson Braxton Brown and sister Faye (Jim) Braley. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Ron, her husband Ken and daughter Carrie. Memorial service will be held at Verde Baptist Church, 102 South Willard Street, Cottonwood, on May 11 at 11 a.m. There will be a private burial service. An online guestbook is available to sign at www.westcottfuneralhome.com