Joyce was born on May 28, 1923 on a farm near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota to John and Gladys Leland. She was raised in a rural setting during the Great Depression. In 1942 she married Lyle Holcomb while he was in training to become a medic in the army during WW II. Joyce was proud that she for the worked in the war effort making uniforms for the U.S. Army. After the war they resided in Minnesota, eventually moving to Concord, California. There they raised their five children.