K.B. Guerry

Karen Beth, or as she was more affectionately known, K.B., was born on May 19, 1943 in Sundown, Texas to the parents of C.O. and Mary Ellen Guerry. She was one of three children of that union; the other two being brothers, C.M. Guerry and Phil Guerry. She recognized Jesus Christ as her personal Savior in April 1955 at the age of 12 in the First Methodist Church of Denver City, Texas.

She began her education in the first grade at Levelland, Texas, and fondly regarded that year as her “first year of teaching” due to the fact that her teacher put her in charge of the “Blackbird Reading Group.” She completed her early years of schooling in Denver City, Texas, finishing high school as a junior, and at age 17, entered West Texas State University from which she earned a B.S. degree in 1964.

K.B. married Jerry Cox on July 4, 1964. She began her formal teaching career in 1965 as a second grade teacher for Archer City Independent School District. In 1967, Jerry was transferred to Great Bend, Kansas and K.B. too a third grade teaching position with that school district.

In October of that year, to their great joy, Jerry and K.B. learned that she was expecting a baby. That baby was a boy and because K.B. was such a staunch, died-in-the-wool Texan, she insisted on naming him Tex since he was born in Kansas instead of Texas. Tex Cox was born on May 3, 1968 and from that moment on, a loving bond was created between Mother and son that could not be broken.

In March 3, 1972, Kasey Beth Cox was born much to the delight of K.B.’s entire family. This little curly-haired girl completed the Cox Family and was a true gift to K.B. who had been told she could not have a second child. Again, a loving bond was created….this time between Mother and daughter that could not be broken. Kasey Beth was to have the initials of her mother’s name and, within family, became Lil’ K.B. at an early age and later K.B. II.

K.B. resumed her teaching career with Seminole Independent School District and taught for this district for 17 years. In 1985, K.B. and Jerry were divorced, she lost her parents in 1989 within 75 days of one another and upon Kasey Beth’s graduation from high school, K.B. and Kasey Beth moved to Odessa, Texas.

K.B. was employed by Ector County Independent School District in 1990 and taught for ECISD for 8 years, became a Curriculum Enrichment Specialist for the district for 2 years, and then moved to Plano, Texas. She taught for Allen ISD for four years and retired in 2004 with a total of 35 years of teaching.

In 1995, Tex married Melesha Eldridge or Boo, as K.B. called her and 2 years later, in 1997, Kinslee Beth, K.B. III was born. In 1999, Hailee Morgan was born to the little family. In 2003, GranGoobies (as she was known to her grandchildren) received a surprise with her first grandson Corban Jerry; and in 2008, the Tex Cox family was completed with the arrival of her second grandson, Coltan Guerry.

In those 35 years of teaching, K.B. was honored in many ways: she was named: Teacher of the Year for Blackshear Elementary, Teacher of the Year for Alamo Elementary, Teacher of the Year for Ector County Independent School District, and Teacher of the Year for Bolin Elementary. She continued to be nominated for Teacher of the Year right up to retirement. K.B. was also named to Who’s Who of America’s Teachers twice and nominated for Disney’s Teacher of the Year four times, as well as nominated for HEB Teacher of the Year.

K.B. always wanted this to be written on her tombstone: “Those Who Knew Her Best, Loved Her Most”.

Surviving family include son Tex Cox and his wife Melesha of Knox City, Texas; daughter Kasey Beth Cox of Austin, Texas; four grandchildren, two brothers, Phil Steven Guerry of Dallas, Texas and Connie Max Guerry of Midland, Texas, and Staci Clemmer of Plano, Texas.

Funeral services will be held at 1pm on Friday, October 1, 2010, at Resthaven’s Abbey Chapel in Lubbock with Tex Cox and Kasey Beth Cox officiating. Burial will follow in Resthaven Memorial Park. Visitation will be held on Thursday from 6pm to 8pm at Resthaven Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to: Tex Cox Ministries, P.O. Box 339, Knox City, Texas 79529.