Joe Joslin, Sr.

Joe Edward Joslin Sr., of DeRidder, LA, passed away on Thursday October 12, 2023. He died peacefully in his sleep at his home. He was 78 years old.

Joe was born on May 12, 1945 in Corinth Mississippi to his parents John Douglas and Maybelle Joslin. Joe graduated from Tishomingo High School near Luka, Mississippi then went to Northeast Community College in Booneville where he played basketball. He completed his education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi where he earned both his bachelors and masters degrees in music. It was there that he met and married Dorothy Sharon Perkins of Rolling Fork, MS. They were wed on July 19, 1968, and were married for 36 years. They had two sons, Joe Edward Joslin, Jr. or DeRidder LA, and Barry Clyde Joslin of Fort Myers, FL.

Joe served many Southern Baptist churches as Minister of Music beginning at 18 years of age in Middleton TN. From there he served in Greenville MS and Jackson MS, and was called to First Baptist Church of DeRidder in 1977 where he served for over 20 years. After retiring in 1998, he served as interim Minister of Music in Aurora CO, Pineville LA, Lake Charles LA, and Anacoco LA. In 2003, he was called to be the Minister of Music at New Life Baptist Church in DeRidder, a position he held until fully retiring from church ministry in 2015. After the passing of his first wife, Sharon, in 2004, Joe married Sherry Weeks Blackwell on June 18, 2005. They served the people of New Life Baptist Church side-by-side for over a decade, and were married for over 18 years. Together they have 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Joe was a lifelong fisherman and avid angler of Toledo Bend Reservoir since it opened in the late 1960s. He enjoyed taking friends and family fishing on Toledo Bend, and in 1998 he began to guide professionally and to write for numerous newspapers and print publications and online sites for the next 23 years. He saw his business as an opportunity to serve others and to show appreciation to his family, friends, soldiers, and veterans.

He is preceded in death by his parents, J. D. and Vera Maybelle Joslin, his first wife Dorothy Sharon Joslin, and his first grandson, Haddon Walter Joslin.

He is survived by his wife, Sherry Weeks Blackwell Joslin, his sons Eddie Joslin (Stacey) and Barry Joslin (Jessica), his five step-children, Jennifer Farris (Joshua), Jonathan Blackwell (Laura), Jodi Chandler (Cody), Joshua Blackwell (Emily), and Jill Nelson (Joshua), his siblings Wendell Joslin, Frank Joslin, Jack Joslin, Beth Hajeh, and Terry Joslin, sixteen grandchildren, and one great grandson.

The memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church DeRidder (2030 Hwy 171, DeRidder LA) at 3PM Sunday October 15, 2023. There will be visitation on Saturday October 14 from 5-8PM at FBC, and then again from 1-3PM Sunday October 15. Internment will be after the service at Hopewell Cemetery (249 Hopewell Church Rd, DeRidder, LA).

The family would like to extend a sincere thanks to Heart of Hospice and Companion Care of DeRidder and for their professional, personable, and attentive care.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations can be made to:

The International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention ( https://www.imb.org/generosity/give-now/) - OR - The American Cancer Society ( https://donate.cancer.org/).