Joy Ivern Fringer Saragosa

On Saturday, November 26, 2016, Joy Ivern Fringer Saragosa, 72, of Santa Barbara, California, passed peacefully from this world, and Heaven gained an angel.

Born in the tiny town of Caney, Kansas, on December 18, 1943, to Clieth Lee Fringer, and Leona Harris Fringer, she moved to Bartlesville, then Stillwater, Oklahoma, attending Oklahoma State University.

She followed Tim, her younger brother, to sunny California in 1971. He thought she was just coming for a short visit, but she had sold all her furniture and planned to stay!!

Her thoughts were that she would probably never be married, but she soon met Rudy Saragosa, and after a whirlwind three month courtship, they eloped to Las Vegas.

A juvenile diabetic from the age of 16, she was blessed with a child at the age of 33, and though the odds were against her, and many told her she should abort, she held to her belief that God gave her this child for a reason, and she gave birth to a son in February 1977.

She worked in many different fields in her lifetime, but found the most fulfillment in her life as a C.N.A. She loved being a nurse’s aide, as she loved to help others.

She was a woman of strong faith, a devout Christian, and attended church regularly. She loved to raise her voice in song, whether it be a traditional hymn, or a contemporary worship song. If it praised God, it pleased her soul.

Never in good health, she suffered a heart attack and a stroke in 2006, and as a result, could no longer attend services as often. She still held on to her love for Jesus as she watched Trinity Broadcasting Network and Daystar Network daily.

A second stroke in the summer of 2016 stole her ability to read but after rehabbing in a skilled nursing facility, she was able to return home.

On Sunday, November 20, 2016, she suffered her third stroke which stole her speech, left her partially paralyzed, and unable to swallow.
Though it was extremely difficult, her wishes were that if severly incapacacited, it should be seen as time for her to go on to glory.

She was placed into hospice care on Friday and took her last breath a little more than 24 hours later.

She is survived by her loving husband of 45 years, Rudy, son John Paul, and brother Tim.

Services were held at First Baptist Church on December 5th, and she was laid to rest at Carpinteria Cemetery, next to her mother.

She will be truly missed as she always had a kind word or a smile for everyone. You are forever in our hearts, and one day we will reunite in paradise.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation in her memory to Visiting Nurses/Hospice Care of Santa Barbara http://www.vnhcsb.org and/or Valle Verde Retirement Community http://www.valleverde.org