Priscilla Jane Payne

With great sadness, yet with great joy, we know that our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, piano teacher, and friend, Priscilla Jane Payne, is now with our Lord Jesus Christ. Priscilla, also known as Pris, passed away at home December 13, 2023 in Visalia, California. She died on her sister Blanche's birthday whom she loved dearly. She was 96+ years old. We cherish the Biblical truth of 2 Corinthians 5:6-9 which states, "Being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord . . . we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him." With confidence we can say Priscilla is now with her precious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Priscilla Jane Harms was born May 8, 1927 in Waco, Texas to Arnold Cornelius Harms and Mary Irene Crowley. She is one of four siblings - one brother and two sisters - Hilda, Arnold, and Blanche. Priscilla was the second born child to Arnold and Irene. She leaves behind two sons and their spouses - Dale and Linda, Glen and Denise; seven grandchildren (spouses) - Jonathan (Ashley), Jennifer (Jaden), Joshua (Sydney), Julieann, James, Jeremiah, and Caleb; and six great grandchildren - Ayton, Brylee, Clay, Norah, Elijah, and Everett (with two more on the way in 2024). Priscilla grew up during a challenging time in America with the Great Depression and WW2 happening during her childhood. Priscilla moved from Texas to Illinois and then to California. In California they moved from Glendale, to Venice, to the San Fernando Valley. Her father was a minister and police officer for the LAPD. Priscilla spent most of her growing up years with her mother Irene. She loved her mother's cooking and gracious spirit. The Harms family loved to travel on vacation and has been in all 50 states including Alaska. Arnold built one of the first travel trailers. Priscilla graduated from Van Nuys High School in 1944 as the Valedictorian. Her speech was entitled "Man Must Be Free." She seemed to enjoy attention from young gentlemen. Several sailors showed up at the same time at her doorstep asking her out. She was active in her church and president of the young adults group. One providential day in 1946 she was introduced to a young sailor who had just come to know Christ through the Navigator program. Priscilla asked him to share his testimony with the college group. How could a young guy turn down a beautiful lady? Well... the rest was history. On August 19, 1949 Priscilla married Otis Howard Payne. Otis and Priscilla attended Biola in 1948 and Wheaton College together. Priscilla worked for the admissions department at Wheaton while Howard finished school. They graduated from Wheaton in 1953 and returned to California to minister at First Baptist Church of Sepulveda and then Lynwood First Baptist (1963). In 1957 Priscilla and Howard lost their first pregnancy and named their son who lived only a few days, Benjamin. Otis worked with World Vision and Christian Pilots Association. Dale Andrew Payne was born September 22, 1959 to Priscilla and Otis. Glen Alden Payne was born August 31, 1963. The Payne family lived in Van Nuys, California and moved to West Covina, California (1968-2014). Dale and Glen attended West Covina Christian School during grade school. Both sons attended Biola College. After the boys finished college, started their occupations as a youth pastor and engineer, they each got married. Priscilla continued as a pastor's wife and piano teacher. She was the main caregiver for her mother, father, and younger sister Blanche (2008). Priscilla was preceded in death by her mother Irene (1973), father Arnold (1986), sister Hilda, brother Arnie, and youngest sister Blanche. Piano and organ were a passion for Priscilla. She was a graduate of Wheaton and Biola Bible College in Music. Priscilla graduated with two Bachelor Degrees. She played the organ for the Biola Hour in LA. Priscilla taught piano from 1972 to 2008 at West Covina Christian School and taught piano overall for 40 years. She had over 40 students and organized several annual piano recitals for her students. Priscilla became the music director at West Covina Christian School and had 1/5 of the students enrolled in her piano music program. She participated with the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) involved in the Certificate of Merit program. Priscilla found great joy teaching piano to her grandchildren or sitting at her piano playing when she had time. Her favorite composer was Chopin. Priscilla stopped teaching in 2008 for health reasons. In 2015 Otis and Priscilla moved up to Visalia, California to be cared for by their oldest son, Dale. Otis passed away August 8, 2020, and Priscilla lived alone in Visalia as a widow. Otis and Priscilla were married for 71 years. Some of our greatest memories together as a family have been camping in the Sierras where we loved to hike, pan for gold, and fish. The East Side was our favorite spot. Otis and Priscilla took long road trips to Alaska, Canada, Niagara Falls, Yellowstone, and many loops in the Pacific Northwest. Priscilla came to know Jesus at a young age at a backyard Bible club put on by Biola College. She was baptized at Church of the Open Door. Priscilla wanted to be known for being a woman who deeply loved God. She loved to study the Bible using the Greek and Hebrew languages and commentaries. She loved to memorize Scripture and put passages to music. Priscilla will be buried with her husband (a WW2 veteran) at the National Cemetery outside Bakersfield. We will greatly miss you, Mom. We will see you soon. Viewing will be held 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024 at Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia. Graveside services will be held 1:30 PM Thursday, January 4th, 2024 at Bakersfield National Cemetery, 30338 E. Bear Mtn. Blvd., Arvin. Services have been entrusted to Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel. Memorial Tributes and condolences may be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Priscilla Jane Payne

May 8, 1927 - December 13, 2023