PARKER, Elizabeth Marie (Cozad) (1915-2001)

PARKER, COZAD, MALNBERG

Posted By: L. Logue (email)
Date: 8/25/2015 at 23:35:01

Houston Herald, Houston, MO - 30 Dec 2003

Elizabeth Marie Cozad Parker, 85, daughter of Ray Clifton Cozad and Carmalita Malnburg, was born Sept. 1, 1915 at Red Oak, Iowa. She died July 20, 2001 at Maranatha Manor in Springfield where she had lived for the last three years due to Alzheimer's.

Even though they lived in Iowa, she and Melvin James Parker eloped to Missouri Aug. 5, 1938 to be married. They lived in Iowa until 1951, when they moved to a farm near Licking. They moved to Houston in 1960.

Mrs. Parker worked at Rawlings until she found she could get a teaching certificate in Missouri with her two-year junior college degree. She taught at rural schools near Licking while completing her degree by correspondence courses and summer school at SMS.

She taught special education at the Houston Schools for many years. She began teaching kindergarten at Fort Leonard Wood, then became certified in library science and was librarian at Fort Leonard Wood until her retirement.

She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Houston for many years and helped organize the church library. She transferred her membership to the First Baptist Church in Cabool after her move to Pineview Heights in 1990. At Pineview she organized a book cart through the Texas County Library.

She loved reading and anything to do with books and liked puzzles. She knitted and made afghans, suits, capes and even a coat for herself. One Christmas she knitted a sweater or vest for each of her grandchildren. All of her grandchildren and students will remember the "bear hunt".

She was preceded in death by her husband June 25, 1990; her parents; two brothers, Bob and Tommy Cozad; one sister, Virginia Crilly; and one great-granddaughter.

Surviving are her children, Charlotte Cameron of Mountain Grove, Richard Parker of Broken Arrow, Okla., Roger Parker of Ozark, Willa Jean Knotts and Wanda Sue Sillyman of Springfield and Linda Ramsey of Houston; one brother, Harold Cozad of Omaha, Nebr.; two sisters, Jeanette Beeson of Red Oak, Iowa, and Georgia Brayman of Omaha, Nebr.; 19 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.

Services were July 23 at the Elliott-Gentry Funeral Home Chapel in Cabool with the Rev. Kendall Ford officiating. Burial was in the Boone Creek Cemetery.