Enman Royce Joiner, Sr., 84, passed away Monday, February 28, 2008 at Hospice Savannah after a lengthy illness.

Born on the family farm in Emanuel County, he was the youngest of seven children. The family worked the farm and cared for their invalid mother for fourteen years. He attended school in Garfield at Emanuel County Institute.

After the death of his mother Enman moved to Savannah where he was employed by Savannah Linen Supply until his enlistment in the US Army. As a T/Sergeant with the 66th Infantry Division he saw action in the European Theater during WWII winning a Bronze Star as the result of leading a mission behind enemy lines.

Upon leaving the service he returned to Ft. Rucker, Alabama, one of his training posts, to marry the girl he had left behind in New Brockton. He and Frances Windham were married April 27th, 1946 and spent the next sixty-one years making their home and raising their family in Savannah. Enman was employed by Union Camp Paper Corporation for thirty-seven years.

In 1962 he began growing daylilies and in a very short while he was hybridizing them and producing new cultivars. Over the next forty-six years he established and ran the commercial daylily garden known as Joiner Gardens. During that time he was responsible for registering and introducing over 500 different plants. He was a nationally recognized hybridizer of daylilies and received numerous awards from his peers some of which are:

The Bertrand Farr Award for outstanding hybridizing and The President’s Cup, twice. Because of his excellent tutelage his son and daughter-in-law, Royce and Jan, and their son, Aaron, continue the tradition of Joiner Gardens.

Enman was a member of The National Rifle Association, and outstanding marksman. He was a long time member of the Hamilton Ridge Hunting Club, Hamilton Ridge, S.C. Enman held a Life Membership in both The American Hemerocallis Society and the Savannah Hemerocallis Society. He was an Exhibition Flower Show Judge as well as a Garden Judge.

He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Frances, a daughter and son-in-law, Cassandra and Ned Winter, a son and daughter-in-law, Royce and Jan Joiner, A sister, Ouida Johnson of Midville, Ga. and a brother, W.J. Joiner of Metter, Ga.

Grandchildren: Wesley and Kim Winter of Richmond Hill, Ga., Rebecca Joiner, Aaron Joiner, both of Savannah, Jeff Winter of Atlanta and Cindy Winter and Scott Selfridge of Portland, Ore. Many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive visitors on Wednesday evening, February 27, 2008 at Fox and Weeks Hodgson Chapel from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Funeral services will be held at Fox & Weeks Hodgson Chapel on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at 2:00pm in Samaria Cemetery (the family cemetery near Garfield in Emanuel County, Georgia). Any non-floral remembrances may be made to Hospice Savannah 1352 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, Ga. 31406.

 

February 25, 2008

Obituary for Enman Royce Joiner, Sr.