By Berta Winiker

I was delighted to learn more about Joyce Fuller, who is two days older than I, who grew up several towns from me in Massachusetts, and with whom I share similar work history and hobbies. Had I not sat with her, I might never have learned what I did and so quickly. The shortest distance between here and a Scrabble game is most desirable. Now I know Joyce!!!

I asked Joyce how it was that she came to Bennington. I learned that she was married to Roger Fuller for 46 years, and that he sadly passed in 2022. This led to her selling their lovely Cavendish home, which Roger had built, and moving to her younger son’s in Bradford, Vermont, for six months. Her older son and his family live in Sandgate. Joyce has five grandchildren and was motivated to find a home in Vermont. She has been in Vermont since 1974, over thirty of them in Cavendish.

Joyce comes from a family full of librarians, including her mother, son, and a daughter-in-law. She was the first librarian to serve Cavendish’s combination school and public library in a spanking-new building. Her diverse duties in this community library ranged from grading students to adult programming and summer activities, to merging the collections of two libraries, and automating the collection. She found it both fun and challenging to welcome different age groups, to answer to town, school, and state, and to forge these new pathways. At the state level she was guided by both the Departments of Education and Libraries. Head-spinning. She was certified through the University of Vermont School Library Media program and had public library certification through the Vermont Department of Libraries.

Joyce’s experiences, pre-Cavendish, included attending Skidmore College, where she majored in Elementary Education and Art. This background served her well as when she worked with children and the public as a camp counselor, full-time recreation director (credit here given for poster production), preschool teacher, home daycare operator, and manager of the town pool in Springfield, Vermont.

While balancing all of this, Joyce decided to take some graphic design courses through CCV. Joyce loves crafts!!! She was on the board of the Fletcher Farm School for the Arts and Crafts in Ludlow, mainly a summer program. She served as registrar (again, making posters) and taught a course on Making a Necktie Chair Seat. She enthusiastically took courses on Painting Floorcloths, Punch Needle Rug Hooking, Silver Jewelry Making, and other chair seat classes. Again in this setting she wore many hats and is still on their instructors list at the renamed Create Together at Fletcher Farm.

It is no surprise that Joyce has contributed significantly to AAUW since moving to Bennington in April 2024. She is an active member of the Program Committee, has offered to handle poster distribution, and is a member of the hospitality and scholarship committees. Joyce is also a participant in the monthly book discussion group. She was recently challenged with the creation of a poster that included many logos and text of equal importance and swimmingly passed that test. Joyce was recently tapped to serve on the board at BPI. She spoke highly of their renovations. When she came to town, she knew no one but quickly found community at UUFB. No doubt that led to AAUW and BPI.

Joyce is thrilled to have found her condo in Bennington. She values the walkability in town with Jagger, her Golden. She also appreciates the proximity of theaters and museums. You may find Joyce, in her spare time, hauling home from the roadside a chair in need of a new seat.

NOTE:  I’m going to put in a plug for encouraging our members to take the time to write up a member, whether a total stranger or someone with whom you are familiar.