july 29, 1907 - may 27, 2001
rank: Seaman 1st Class V6 SV USNR
Dates of Service: 1944 - 1945
Glenn Jeter Joyner was born on July 29, 1907 in Nash County, North Carolina to David Sanford Joyner and Genie Sue Joyner. He was one of 11 children. When he was 10 years old his family moved from Nash county to Wakefield, North Carolina where his father built a house, bought a farm and open a country store. He graduated from Wakelon High School. After high school, Glenn took a course in bookkeeping (he was always a whiz at math) and worked in his father's country store. After his father's death, he ran the store for several years and managed the farm for his mother.
In 1937, Glenn married Eardeen Marie Bunn. Glenn and Eardeen had three children, Sanford, Ellen, and Donald, all born in Wakefield, North Carolina. When the US entered World War II, Glenn worked in various industries that were involved in the war effort. In Goldsboro he worked at the Goodyear tire factory. In 1944, he was drafted into the Navy. He was a teletype operator on a ship and was principally in the Pacific ocean. In 1945, at the war's end, he was honorably discharged and came home to his family.
Glenn went to work for Pender Manufacturing Company, a farm machinery manufacturer in Raleigh. He was a machinist and worked with Pender until he retired at age 65.
In 1947, Glenn and Eardeen move their family to Knightdale. Glenn continued to work at Pender Manufacturing in Raleigh. Eventually, he also became a carrier for the News and Observer newspaper. The entire family participated in the newspaper endeavor. Glenn was a devoted Christian. He and his family were weekly participants in all events at Knightdale Baptist Church. He was a member of the church choir, singing bass. He taught Sunday school for several years. He was a deacon and a trustee of the church. He served a short term on the Knightdale town board.
In retirement Glenn enjoyed gardening and fishing. He and Baxter Upchurch could be found at some local pond in the Knightdale area several times every week. In the last years of his life, he was medically blind from glaucoma. Even so, he bore it with grace and managed to live a fairly full life with the help and loving care of Eardeen. He was devoted to his growing family.
