Marjorie "Ethelyn" (WALKER) TOWNSEND DIAL GOODNER

WALKER, TOWNSEND, DIAL, GOODNER, SCHAFER, WILLICH, EISNACH

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/4/2009 at 12:32:11

The Childress Index
Childress, Texas

OBITUARY - MARJORIE "ETHELYN" (WALKER) TOWNSEND DIAL GOODNER

Marjorie Ethelyn (WALKER) GOODNER was born on November 13, 1920, in Memphis, Texas and passed away November 12, 2008 at Clearview Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa.

She was the youngest child of William Mason and Ella Dora WALKER. She was welcomed home by four older brothers; Ben, Bob, Gordon and Dennis. A fifth brother Wayne had died in the Spanish flu epidemic shortly before Ethelyn was born. Ethelyn, as she liked to be called, grew up in rural Hall County, Texas and attended elementary and high school in Memphis, Texas.

Her father was a part time real-estate salesman and farmer and her mother was a homemaker and amateur artist. Many of her mother’s paintings still preside in the homes of her descendants. Ethelyn grew up in a Christian home and was a member the Southern Baptist Church in Memphis. She enjoyed gospel and inspirational music, and was a self taught piano player learning to play music by ear.

Ethelyn graduated from high school in 1938 and married J. T. TOWNSEND that same year. To this marriage were born two sons, Jimmy and Dennis. She later married Joseph Durwood DIAL in 1946, and to this marriage a son, Curtis DIAL was born in 1947. Ethelyn then married Herschel Guildord "Gib" GOODNER in 1953, and were together until his death in 1969. Gib had two daughters from a previous marriage, Gay and Judy.

Ethelyn lived and worked in several places in Texas throughout her life. She was a bookkeeper at White’s Auto in Amarillo, Texas. She later worked as an admissions clerk at Bentaub Hospital in Houston, Texas. Later in her career she was a Green Thumb worker for the third grade students in Childress, Texas. This was the job she loved the most. Due to her health Ethelyn moved to Mount Ayr, Iowa in 2003 to be closer to her niece Marilyn (WALKER) SCHAFER.

Preceding Ethelyn in death are her parents William and Ella WALKER; brother Ben and wife Vera WALKER, brother Wayne WALKER, brother Bob and wife Kitty WALKER, brother Gordon and wife Roberta WALKER, brother Dennis WALKER and sister-in-law, Marie WALKER.

She is survived by sister-in-law Betty WALKER of Corpus Christi, Texas; son Jimmy TOWNSEND and wife Judy of Lubbock, Texas; son Dennis TOWNSEND of Martinez, Georgia; son Curtis DIAL and wife Cathy of Batesville, Mississippi; step-daughter Gay (GOODNER) WILLICH of Hionaunau, Hawaii; step-daughter Judy (GOODNER) EISNACH of McComb, Michigan; granddaughter Angie DIAL of Malaga, Spain; other grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A Memorial will be established in Ethelyn GOODNER’s name. Family visitation is from 6-8 p.m. on Sunday evening at Johnson Funeral Home. Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17 at Johnson Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be at Fairview Cemetery in Memphis, Texas with Ben WALKER officiating.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2009