Goldie (Estel) Hitsman (2008)

BIRD, COMBS, ESTEL, EXLINE, FURGISON, GRASTY, HITSMAN, LEE, STANLEY, THIGPEN

Posted By: Treva Patterson
Date: 1/30/2008 at 15:46:18

Des Moines Register
Des Moines, Iowa
Wednesday, January 30, 2008

GOLDIE HITSMAN
Des Moines

Our beloved mother, Goldie Hitsman has gone to be with her Heavenly Father. She passed away at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines on Sunday, January 27, 2008.

Goldie was born in Winterset on September 29, 1915 to Eva Estel and was raised by her mother and Ray Estel. She had two brothers, Ralph and Harry Estel. Her mother later married Walter Furgison. Later in life she found her other family and birth father and was privileged to have additional half brothers and sisters whom she enjoyed spending time.

Goldie worked hard all her life, the last 20 years of her working career at Drake University where, after working three more years part-time, she retired. She enjoyed fishing and entering baking contests at the Iowa State Fair. An accomplished cook, she won many blue ribbons for her pie baking.

The last years of her life she lived at Jacobs Place Apartments where she enjoyed cooking for the monthly potlucks and spending time with her good friend Helen Heckman. Goldie was a prolific writer until her eyesight prohibited her from doing so.

Goldie was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Ralph Estel, grandson Randy Stanley and her nieces Shirley Combs and Pamela Sue Exline. She is survived by her children, Betty (Lee) Bird of Kentucky, Charles Stanley of Florida, Richard (Phyllis) Grasty of Illinois, Delores "Dee" (John) Thigpen of West Des Moines and Larry (Nina) Hitsman of Des Moines, seventeen grandchildren, many great-grandchildren and her niece and nephew.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, February 1, 2008 at Brooks Funeral Care (7975 University Boulevard). Visitation will be one half hour prior to the service on Friday morning. Inurnment of her cremains in the Winterset Cemetery will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Iowa Home Health Hospice or the Taylor House.

We would like to thank the staff at Iowa Health Home Hospice and Taylor House for their wonderful and giving spirit. As we prayed and waited together through the long days, our memories were of how our Mother brought love and meaning to our lives. We will miss her.

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