Joyce Hester, 81, of Nederland, died Monday, August 2, 2010, at Cedar Park Medical Center in Austin.   Mrs. Hester was a native of Hathaway, Louisiana. She graduated from Lake Arthur High School, Lamar State College and St. Mary School of Nursing. She was a Registered Nurse for Dr. Ross, Dr. Orgeron, St. Mary Hospital, Pediatric Wing (Charge Nurse) and Mid-Jefferson Hospital. Mrs. Hester was a member of Calvary Baptist Church where she served as a Sunday School Teacher, choir member and a pianist. She loved to sing with her family and was a devoted friend.   She was preceded in death by her husband, Louis Hester; daughter, Debra Ann Hester; parents, Conrad Henry and Ora Pearl Whitman; siblings, Nathan Whitman, Betty Whitman Belk, Shirley Whitman Hurst, Pearl Whitman Broussard, Herbert Allen Whitman, Raynita Whitman Elliott and Margie Whitman Owers Green.    Mrs. Hester is survived by children, Brenda Hester West and her husband Bobby, Daniel Hester and his wife Karen, Barbara Hester Cortez LeGrande and her husband Ralph and Bradley Hester and his wife Linda; her siblings, Vera Perry and her husband Mayo of Orange, Mildred Anthony and her husband Herlin of Kokomo, Mississippi, Donald Whitman and his wife Linda, Howard Whitman and his wife Barbara, Conrad “Junior” Whitman and his wife Barbara, all of Lake Arthur, Louisiana, Martha Whitman, Lloyd Whitman and his wife Wanda, Linda Whitman Bennett and her husband Leslie, all of Dry Prong, Louisiana, Carolyn Hubert of Groves; ten grandchildren, Gilbert Cortez III, Sharon West Bradshaw and her husband Chris, S. Diane West Arthur and her husband Kenny, James Robert West and his wife Kristin, Marc Aaron Hester and his wife Sheena, Alex Daniel Hester, Nathan Scott Hester, Michael Parker and his wife Clare, Kristopher Clayton Parker and his wife Ann, Brendan Jon-Cameron Hester; nine great-grandchildren, Jonathan West Herring, Bailey Kay Herring, Kyle James West, Kavin Jeremiah West, Kenslee Jade West, Hannah Grace Arthur, Nathan Allen Arthur, Locke Charles Herbert Hester, and Kendall Jewel Parker.   Her funeral service will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 7, 2010, at Calvary Baptist Church in Nederland with a burial to follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Groves. A gathering of her family and friends will be 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. Friday, August 6, 2010, at Broussard’s in Nederland.