Effie Lucille (Allen) Townsend went home to be with the Lord on March 21, 2021. Effie was born to Ivan and Mamie Aletta (McDevitt) Allen on May 3, 1932 near Booker, Texas. She moved to Austin, Texas with her mother and younger sister when she was 13 and graduated from high school there. In Austin, she met and fell in love with Aubrey Gordon Townsend. They married on September 21, 1950 and they celebrated 51 years before he preceded her in death on December 28, 2001. Effie was also preceded in death by four brothers, Frank Allen, R.D. Allen, Ivan Allen, Leland Allen, and by two sisters, Harriet Strickland and Mamie Agler.
Effie is survived by her son, Gordon Ivan Townsend and his life partner Marion Louis; sister, Dorothy Tate; lots of nieces and nephews, and her extensive adopted-family. She enjoyed people and was always willing to help whenever she could and treated everyone like family. She was an active member of Grace United Methodist Church in Copperas Cove she especially enjoyed participation in their United Methodist Women group. Effie loved her church and was the recipient of the 2002 Louis Behrens Service Award. She supported numerous groups in the church, such as Sowers Circle, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Friendship Corner, and Deployed Spouse group, just to mention a few. As a young woman, Effie was an accomplished seamstress and made much of her own clothing, including her wedding dress. Later in life, she learned to crochet, crocheting hundreds of afghans for family members, brides, babies, children, and for the prayer shawl ministry.
The family would like to express their sincerest gratitude for the loving and supportive care provided by the staff of Bluebonnet Hospice.
Visitation will be open to the public on Wednesday, March 31st from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Crawford Bowers Funeral Home in Copperas Cove. The family is requesting that at all guests wear mask when attending the visitation.
The family will conduct a private Memorial Service, prior to interment at the Copperas Cove City Cemetery. In person attendance will be limited to immediate family only; however, extended family and friends are invited to view the live streamed service online April 1st at 2:00 PM at https://www.facebook.com/crawfordbowerscopperascove
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Grace United Methodist Women at 101 W. Ave. F, Copperas Cove, TX 76522.
