June Cozad Eulogy

by Pastor John Partridge November 17, 2011 Well here we are. This is one of those times that we did not want to come but knew that it was coming anyway. We werent sure when it was going to happen but most of us have known for a while that we would be here. There are several ways that our language uses to describe the waiting. Some would say that we were waiting for the other shoe to drop, and for others of us it was like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and realizing that the light was a train coming straight toward us, or that moment when your car starts to slide on the ice and you have the terrible realization that you are no longer in control and can only wait for life to take you wherever it is going. This is the sort of moment that we might have seen coming but our awareness of it, and even our preparations for it, has done nothing to ease the pain that we feel. June Cozad was born in her parents home, right here in Barnesville, on June 10, 1926. Like many of our parents and grandparents, this meant that June grew up during the Great Depression and like many from that generation, the experience shaped her and made her stronger but it likely also had a part in teaching her what was important. Growing up during that time reinforced what many of us have also learned... that we are stronger in community and, that family sticks together. Community was important, Roy and June were people of faith and rarely missed church until their health made it impossible. The folks at church always knew that Roy and June would arrive early and would always greet them with a smile. When I sat down with Junes family this week I was told in no uncertain terms that for her, Family was first. After serving in the Cadet Nurse Corps and in the Civil Air Patrol during World War II, June attended the Springfield School of Nursing. While there, June went out for an evening of roller skating and met a young man who was just a bit older than her and fell in love. Roy and June skated together for most of their lives even when they were in their 60s and 70s. Well, thats not quite right. Roy and June did skate into their retirement, but from what I have been told, when they went to the roller rink, Roy and June didnt just skate, they danced on skates. June was never a girl who wanted to stand still but was a woman who was always on the go. Even though June worked, what is remembered is that summers were spent with the kids at the swimming pool and, as many of us do, the family would occasionally take vacation trips in the summer. When I asked the kids what they remembered, they didnt tell me stories of camping or sightseeing, but instead remembered trips to Washington D.C., Niagara Falls, and a trip home from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They remembered these trips not because of what they saw or because of what they had done, but because each time they got famously lost. Apparently, despite spending time as a deputy sheriff, Roy does not have a well-developed sense of direction. Each Halloween, Roy and June would take the kids for a walk and each year that meant finding their way through the spooky haunted houses that were the railroad tunnels in Barnesville. Through it all, June, Roy and the family laughed and grew closer together. Every year, even when Roy was working as a deputy sheriff, Roy and June would go to the Jamboree in the Hills to people watch. They didnt go because it was their favorite kind of music, but because they got so much enjoyment from watching everyone else. After her retirement, Roy and June took a trip to St. Croix and what they found was not exactly the dreamy island paradise that we see on television. They might have suspected that their hotel was not in the best of neighborhoods when, instead of having tiny mints on their pillows, they discovered instead that their room came equipped with hammers on their nightstands.
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In Junes home, there was always a Boxer dog, everyone was always welcome, and family and friends were always stopping by for visits. Every year during the Pumpkin Festival Roy and Junes house would turn into a family reunion with everyone gathering and laughing and having a good time. Often, even after June had retired, family and friends would stop by or call so that Nurse June could care for them or give them advice. It was apparent that, at least for June, once a nurse, always a nurse. During her career, June was always a friendly and caring face. At the hospital she was known as Momma June and at the clinic everyone called her June Bug. Even after Roy and June stopped getting out and stayed mostly at home, everyone around expected to see the two of them sitting on the porch together and talking to whoever would come by. In life, June lived Junes way. She was a wonderful wife and mother, a charter member of the Civil Air Patrol in Barnesville, and she was largely responsible for Roys leaving his job as a deputy sheriff and returning to his career as an electrician. It seems that there had been shots fired in Barnesville on at least two occasions and June thought that being a deputy was too dangerous. She simply put her foot down, and Roy, being the intelligent man that he is, decided that this was a good idea. June loved to read, and do crossword puzzles, and knit and even though she was no expert, she loved to type on the computer and read her email. Her children also pointed out that even though every grandchild was told to wash their hands the moment they walked in the door, those same grandchildren were allowed to do things (like jumping on the furniture) that Junes own children had never been allowed to do. Even late in life, June wasnt afraid to try new things. During last years Pumpkin Festival, Junes son-in-law Keith persuaded her to get on the back of his Harley Davidson motorcycle and June made sure that he took her through the busiest parts of town so that everyone could see her. June didnt want to spend the end of her life in the hospital as a patient and she died in her home, in the same room where she was born. June died as she had lived on her own terms. June leaves all of us a legacy, a legacy that has shaped her family and will continue to shape each one of us. Her family told me that no matter what, June was always there for them. June Cozad has left us but we will always remember her life and her example, a life filled with compassion, faithfulness, love, courage, tenderness and laughter. June taught us all to hold on to the things that are important, to live life, and to keep family first.

Obituary for June Cozad

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June M. Cozad, 85, of Barnesville, Ohio passed away Sunday, November 13, 2011, at her home, the home she was born in. She was born June 10, 1926, daughter of the late James DePew and Eunice Hayes DePew. June was a graduate of Springfield School of Nursing and a retired registered nurse with Barnesville Hospital. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, a member of Barnesville First United Methodist Church, Barnesville Order of Eastern Star, and the Ladies Shrine. June proudly served her country in the Cadet Nurse Corp. and the Civil Air Patrol Air Force, during World War II. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Dorothea Mae DePew. June is survived by her husband of 61 years, Roy G. Cozad; daughters, Pat (Keith) Phillips of Bethesda, Ohio, Nancy Cozad, and Carol McConnell both of Barnesville, Ohio; son, Michael (Sharon) Cozad of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; step daughters, Sue (Gary) Bowman of Sun City, Florida, Martee (Roy) Rogers of Springfield, Ohio; special niece, Karen (Jim) Williamson of Barnesville, Ohio; 15 gradchildren; 26 great-grandchildren; and 5 great-great grandchildren. Family and friends may call, Wednesday 5 to 8 p.m. and Thursday 11 a.m. until time of service at 1 p.m., KellyKemp-Braido Funeral Home, 702 East Masin Street, Barnesville, Ohio. Pastor John Partridge and Reverend Tom Detling officiating. Interment will follow in Crestview Cemetery, Barnesville, Ohio. (This poem was read at the funeral of Junes mother ) To Those I Love And Those Who Love Me (author unknown)
When I am gone, release me; let me go. I have so many things to see and do. You must not tie yourself to me with tears; Be happy that we had so many years. I gave you my love you can only guess How much you gave me in happiness. I thank you for the love you each have shown; But now, it is time I travelled on alone. So, grieve awhile for me, if grieve you must, Then let your grief be comforted by trust. Its only for a while that we must part, So bless the memories with your heart. I wont be far away for life goes on; So, if you need me, call and I will come. Though you cant see or touch me, Ill be near, And if you listen with your heart, youll hear All of my love around you, soft and dear, And then, when you must come this way alone, Ill greet you with a smile and wave, Welcome Home