Alice (Smedley) COGILL

SMEDLEY, COGILL, ZURN, PARSLEY, BYRTUS, DAVIDSON, SZYMECZEK, MICHAELS, SCHROEDER, HICKS, KALAL, RACHUY, BUCALSTEIN, MILLER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 3/5/2011 at 12:15:52

November 4, 1916 --- April 7, 2005

Mason City, IA - Alice Smedley Cogill, 88 of 302 2nd St NE, died Thursday (April 7, 2005) at Good Shepherd Health Center, Mason City. Funeral services will be held 11 AM Monday (April 11, 2005) at First Assembly of God, 1301 N. Carolina, Mason City, with Reverend Norm Tosten, officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery, Mason City. The family will greet friends from 5-7 PM Sunday (April 10, 2005) at Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 3rd St NE, Mason City. Memorials may be given to the Alice R. Cogill Memorial Fund.

Alice R. Smedley was born November 4, 1916, on a farm near Rockwell, to Elsie Louisa and Milton Smedley. Those were the days of horse and buggy in summer and sleigh rides in the winter. She learned to love the land from the day she was born. She liked nothing better than to dig her fingers in the dirt and plant the seeds and see them grow. Her specialty was flowers; tulips, lilies, rose, chrysanthemums, anything and everything that had color. Alice graduated from high school in 1934. She was a good student and a master with words. She enjoyed working crossword puzzles and cryptograms. The TV program “Wheel of Fortune” was one of her favorites. She could almost always solve the puzzle before any of the contestants could. Her love for reading took her many places she could never go. She always said “One can go anywhere in the world through books”. And she did! Baseball was a great love of hers. Favorite team: the Minnesota Twins. During baseball season you could often find her listening to the game on the radio as well as watching it on TV!

She married John Cogill in 1935. Three daughters were born to them, Sherry, Karen, and Marilyn who goes by Dee. Her children serving God is a great testimony of God’s faithfulness to her. About 1956 she began attending the Assembly of God church and committed her life anew to Jesus Christ. She was very active in the church. She taught Sunday school, Children’s Church, was secretary of the church board, besides many other involvements. She had a very meager income but faithfully paid her tithes and gave to missions and BGMC (Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade). God blessed her and took care of her needs.

Alice worked at Mercy Hospital for many years. In 1959 she took a position as a seamstress for Formalities Bridal Shop. She was an expert seamstress! She not only altered bridal gowns and brides-maid dresses but often made the dresses for the flower girls to match the bridal party. She loved her work. She even did the bookkeeping for the shop when there was a need. She retired when she reached the age of 62. Then she continued to take in sewing at home and crocheted in her spare time! About five years ago she became ill and had to give up driving. This was very difficult for her as it took away her independence. But she was content to stay at home, caring for her garden and her flowers until she was no longer able to. Talking politics was a “no no” around her. You could get her pretty riled up if you were on the wrong side!

Memories of her are of a lady who never complained, no matter what her circumstances and there were many very difficult ones in her life. She lived and loved unconditionally and served God to the very end. Some of her last words when she knew her time was short were “God gives you roses in life, but there are also thorns. Some just get a few more thorns than others.” We mourn her loss but rejoice in the fact that she faces no more pain or sorrow, only joy everlasting with her Master and Lord.

Alice is survived by her three daughters, Sherry (Art) Zurn, Garner; Karen (Jerry) Parsley, Springfield, MO; Marilyn “Dee” (Tomm) Byrtus, Faribault, MN; ten grandchildren, Lee Davidson, Jerry Szymeczek, Gary (Sue) Szymeczek, Elaine Michaels, Lisa (Fred) Schroeder, Kerry (Gordon) Hicks, Kert (Tami) Parsley, Kristi (Alan) Kalal, Rachelle (Tim) Rachuy, Matthew Byrtus, twenty-three great-grandchildren, Elizabeth (Mike), Rachel (John), Christopher, Carrie, John (Jennifer), Joe, Sarah, Bob, Lori (Ryan), Jennifer, Jodie, Matthew, Kaylyn, Kelsey, Konner, Kase, Koleman, Kaden, Kylie, Logan,, McKenzie, Calvin, and Ethan; three great-great-grandchildren, Adriane, Nicole, and Mason. She is also survived by her two sisters, Lettie Bucalstein, LaHabra, CA and Reba Miller, Belmond. She was preceded in death by her parents, four brothers and one sister, Art, Vern, Joe, Clyde, and Ruth. Hogan-Bremer-Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 3rd St NE, Mason City.