Cora Lucille Whitmarsh

Born July 7, 1933 Walker Creek, Arkansas

Died April 1, 2013

Cora was a Christian. She loved and was loved – there is no better gift. Her favorite thing was her family and she had a deep abiding love for each and every one of them. She often told each of them if it wasn’t for her none of them would ever be here. We all knew it.

Cora graduated from Lewisville High School in Arkansas in May 1957, where she was in the National Honor Society, cheerleader and editor of the school newspaper. She later received her Associates degree from Henderson State College in 1953, her Bachelor of Science in 1968 at Southeastern and her MS degree from East Texas State University in 1983, while raising two children.

Cora wore many hats through her life. She was a United States Air Force wife, mother, homemaker and seamstress for her daughter’s clothing and taught 4th grade at Hyde Park Elementary for 22 ½ years in Denison. She received the lifetime honorary membership in the National PTA in 1989 and the Denison CTA Teacher of the Year 1989-90 and retired May 1990. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church where she was known as the card angel. She loved her church family dearly and her Lord! She attended Disciple Bible Classes and the Walk to Emmaus and also taught Sunday school. Cora never met a stranger and lived and loved life to the fullest and traveled all over the world. Her zest for life led her to the Finley Playhouse in Sherman where she acted in 5 plays under the direction of Ron Cassidy. Her favorite play was “Steel Magnolias”. She always admitted she was a self-professed “ham” and also worked in the box office there for years. On a trip to California with one of her friends, she rode in a hot air balloon in her late 50’s, she went white river rafting with her sister in the Rio Grande and of course with “Mountain Man”, and on her 70th birthday rode a jet ski at Lake Texoma. She also loved to travel with her lifelong friends that she called “The Golden Girls”. She and Gloria also met frequently in Las Vegas for days of fun at the black jack tables and in Denison you could find she and her dear Dottie at Bingo. She was a member of the “Red Hat Club-The Sweet Teas” and enjoyed dessert first and much laughter and fellowship. She never got old because she “never” stopped playing.

Two special trips she loved to tell of were with the Boy Scouts of America to Tahlequah, OK to camp and canoe down the Illinois River. She often told the tale of how her son-in-law scout leader, Robert Levacy, tried to drown her while canoeing. She delivered “Meals on wheels” for 5 years for the Denison Snap Center and enjoyed the older people they served.

She was preceded in death by her parents Oce Griffin and Era (Griffin) Shannon, husband Thomas Lloyd Whitmarsh, son Michael Griffin Whitmarsh and Sister Billie Joe Hurst.

“The Great One” as she was affectionately known by her family is survived by her daughter: Vickie Oden and husband Steve and daughter-in-law Lori Whitmarsh; grandchildren: Aaron Levacy and wife Alex, Rachael Nelson and husband Jason, Michael Whitmarsh and wife Abbey, April Sutton and husband Bryan, Ashley Whitmarsh, Jonathon and David Oden; great-grandchildren: Skyler, Adler and Anna Levacy, Ayden and Avery Nelson, Alvin Michael Owen and Austin Michael Whitmarsh and another great grandson due in June.

The family will be at Bratcher Funeral Home for visitation from 6:00 – 7:00 P.M., Friday, April 5, 2013.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Saturday, April 6, 2013 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Denison, with Pastor Louella Williams officiating. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Denison.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons: Aaron Levacy, Michael Whitmarsh, David Oden and Bryan Sutton and her nephews Bill and Bob Hurst.

In lieu of flowers the family has requested memorials to Trinity United Methodist Church 101 US Hwy 69, Denison, TX 75020 or to the Children’s Pantry at the same address or to the Hyde Park Elementary School Library at 1701 Hyde Park Avenue, Denison, TX 75020.