Joyce L. Davenport, age 97, of Edmonds went to be with her Lord Jesus, February 3, 2025, surrounded by family. 

Joyce was born June 3, 1927, on the family farm near Riceville, Iowa. She was the daughter of Herman and Trena (Abels) Ohden. Joyce grew up during the Great Depression. Those years on the farm were difficult but happy ones. The children were involved in 4H Club activities and showed their animals at county and state fairs. Entertainment was family- and church-centered. The family had an old pump organ and later a piano; Joyce and her sister Erma were encouraged to learn and became proficient at playing hymns. To motivate them to practice, Trena would tell the girls, “Practice or do the dishes.” They practiced. Sundays were devoted to church: Presbyterian in the morning and Baptist in the afternoon.

Following high school, Joyce attended Iowa State Teachers College and taught in rural schools in Iowa. She then entered the University of Dubuque, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Bible and a minor in English. While at Dubuque she was active in the Christian organizations on campus, and served in various leadership roles.

Upon completing her university training, Joyce was called to missionary service. In 1949, she was commissioned by the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A., and assigned to West Africa, where she taught for two years at the Hope School for Missionary Children in Cameroon.

While at the commissioning conference, Joyce met and later became engaged to the Rev. Harold Edwin Davenport, Jr., of Seattle, Washington, who was preparing to serve as a missionary in Mesopotamia. Joyce and Harold were married May 2, 1951, in a garden wedding in Baghdad. Iraq became their primary home as they raised five sons and served the United Mission of Iraq in Kirkuk, Hillah, Baghdad, and Basra. Their work in Iraq prior to the 1958 revolution is mentioned in B.J. Fernea’s book Guests of the Sheik.

Following 1958, the Davenports moved to Beirut, Lebanon, until 1961. There, Joyce served in the church, leading children’s activities, while Harold taught at Haigazian College and Beirut College for Women. The Davenports later returned to Iraq in 1963, where Harold was on the faculty of Baghdad High School in Mansour and at the School of High Hope in Basra until the Iraqi government took over the schools in 1969. They then moved to Bahrain where Joyce was Coordinator of Religious Education and Harold served as pastor of the National Evangelical Church.

Upon returning to the United States in 1976, Joyce and Harold befriended many students who had come to Seattle from Middle Eastern countries and other parts of the world. Harold served as Director of International Neighbors until his retirement in 1988. Joyce was the ultimate hostess, chef, and hospitality director, welcoming visitors into their home and organizing winter retreats at Mount Baker. Joyce was blessed and energized by frequent visits from dear international friends and family. She enjoyed gardening and loved to send folks home with colorful flower bouquets from her garden.

In 2018, Joyce moved from her home in Shoreline to Helen’s Adult Family Home in Edmonds, where she was cared for while she encouraged and prayed for those around her until she was welcomed into the Lord’s presence. Nothing gave her more joy than sharing the love of her Lord with others—this was her life’s mission. Joyce never forgot who she belonged to, who her Lord was, or where she was going.

Joyce is survived by her five sons: Stephen (Mely) of Wapato, Timothy (Marie) of Lynnwood, Peter (Susan) of Atlanta, Philip (Tana) of Snohomish, and Thomas (Shari) of Issaquah; 11 grandchildren; 27 great‐grandchildren; and her sister Marian Opitz of Everett. She was preceded in death by her husband Harold, her granddaughter Sarah, her great-grandson Max, her sister Erma Ahrens, and her brothers Richard and John Ohden.

A private graveside was held at Zillah Cemetery.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 12, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Calvin Presbyterian Church, 18826 Third Ave NW, Shoreline, WA 98177. The service will be live-streamed at https://calvinpc.org/live-stream/ and on the church’s Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/calvinpc.wa.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to InternationalStudents.org/give (Anne Adrian #5364) or a favorite ministry of your choice.

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:4–7