Anna Elizabeth Goebel

Anna Elizabeth Field Goebel, 88, passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by family on July 1, 2013. Services are set for Wednesday, July 3 at Cogdell Memorial United Methodist Church at 1:30 pm with Pastor Doug Blackford officiating. Burial to will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will Tuesday July 2 from 5pm to 7pm at Grace Gardens Funeral Home.

Elizabeth was born on June 12, 1925 in Gilliam, Louisiana to Walter Taylor Field and Mary Jane Spell Field, the youngest of seven children. She attended business college and later North Texas University in Denton, but left to work in Shreveport when her mother became ill. Elizabeth met her beloved husband, Marvin, in 1946 through her good friend and future sister-in-law, Virginia Haug. Marvin and Elizabeth married in 1949, and she moved to Waco. Her entire adult life was spent devoting herself to her family, church, and friends.

Elizabeth and Marvin were charter members of Cogdell Memorial United Methodist Church and spent many happy times there. She greatly valued education, returning to Baylor to complete her library science degree when her four children had all entered grade school. She graduated in 1983 to the cheers and applause of her family. After Marvin's retirement from Baylor, she and Marvin enjoyed flying in Marvin's airplane and building a log cabin in the Texas Hill Country.

Elizabeth was a loving, gentle, kind, compassionate and generous lady. She loved hosting family and church gatherings, entertaining with grace, ease, and hospitality. Her hobbies included reading, taking care of her grandchildren, baking, sewing, gardening, and playing games, especially Scrabble. She lived her life as an example of Christian love as described in I Corinthians 13.

She is survived by her children, Melinda Coats and husband Jim, Marvin Goebel, Jr. and wife Nancy, Melanie Gee, and Melissa Bivona and husband Brian; grandchildren, Grace Fultz Arsiaga and husband Manuel, Faith Fultz Dowdy and husband Aaron, Joy Cozby, Jason Lucas and wife Kylah, Marshall Gee, Emily Bivona Handley and husband Christopher, Alicia Bivona, Jason Coats and wife Sara, and Ben Coats and wife Wendy; and twelve great grandchildren.

Memorials can be made to Cogdell Memorial United Methodist Church, 1201 W. Highway 6, Waco, TX 76710 or Baylor University. The family would like to thank Jim Coats, Dr. Karl Trippe, and Providence Hospice for their loving care of our mother in her last days.