James Ronald Joyner was born on September 23, 1947 in Carbondale only due to the fact that Marion had no hospital at the time. His parents were Paul M. Joyner and Nita Jo Webb and in the 1950 census were living in Marion at 708 Circle Drive. His father, Paul, had inherited a family business that his father, James C., and two uncles had forged ca 1930 called Joyner Brothers. The business was a wholesale candy and tobacco distribution business located at 408 N. Van Buren Street in Marion.
Ronald, like his dad, was an involved student in Marion High School, participating in sports and clubs and graduating in the Marion High School Class of 1965. After high school it was noted that he had attended the U of I, SIU and SEIC in Harrisburg.
During the 1970 federal census Ron served as a regional director for the census.
His father, Paul, after being elected as city commissioner in 1971 served only a year before suffering a heart attack while attending an informal council meeting and died of a heart attack in 1972.
In 1973 and 1974, Ron was assistant treasurer to City Treasurer Lawrence Feurer and in 1974, Ron became the manager of a men’s clothing store in the Town & Country Shopping Center called the Village Squire owned by Tom Kirby. It was noted that Ron had also previously served as Vice President of the Joyner Brothers family business. In December of 1974, Ron put his hat in the ring to run for city commissioner for the 1975 city elections. At the time Ron was 27 and lived at 1307 E. Boyton Street.
Ron won in the April 1975 city elections and served as the Public Safety Commissioner under Mayor Robert L. Butler until 1979. During his term as commissioner, Ron got married to Jean Ann Hunt on September 23, 1978 in DuQuoin, Illinois.
Ron ran again for re-election in the 1979 city elections and won a second term in office. When City Treasurer Lawrence Feurer passed away in office on April 23, 1980 Mayor Robert Butler appointed Ron Joyner as city treasurer to replace Feurer on May 12, 1980. Joyner gave notice at his job at Village Squire and resigned his job as commissioner. At this time, Ron was living with his wife at his old family home at 708 Circle Drive where he grew up and had two children, Amy and Paul.
A special city election was held in September 1980 to replace his position left empty on the city council and the election was won by George A. Williams to finish out Joyner’s term.
Problems began to arise in April 1995 when it was discovered that the City of Marion hadn’t made any payments to employee pension funds for 4 years which effected mainly the fire and police department employees. The city was then over 1.1 million dollars behind in payment. More problems arose when Joyner pledged to pay higher than normal payments to the fund to catch up without the city council’s approval.
By 1996, the pension inconsistencies fell under the scrutiny of the Attorney General and in July of 1996, Mayor Butler and the council delivered a letter to Joyner terminating his employment after 16 years in the office. Joyner was immediately replaced by Steve Hale as treasurer and an accounting office was called in to audit the city records. By the end of July, the State Police were called in to examine the accounting and irregularities were found in the city’s revolving loan fund and the computer system.
In September of 1996 Joyner pled guilty to embezzling over $44,000 by writing himself 161 checks over 7 years. Joyner paid the money back to the city plus a $1,000 fine. He was given four years probation and served 100 hours of community service.
Joyner passed away in Evansville, Indiana on January 12, 2021 and was interred in Rose Hill Cemetery.
(Sources: Federal census records, Evansville Courier, the Southern Illinois, Marion Daily Republican, Marion City Cemetery records, Marion City Street directories. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 9/20/2024)