Doris Virginia Goolsby

Doris Virginia Goolsby was born June 19, 1914 to Leon Ellsworth and Helen Lucille Markland at the home of her grandparents John C. and Eviza Steel Hinkle which is now the Holt County, Missouri Hinkle Homestead at Fortescue and owned by the Holt County Historical Society.

Doris attended Fortescue grade and high school, graduating in 1932. She was a dedicated athlete, winning many medals at the Holt County Competition events.

After high school she attended St. Joseph Junior College and what was known as Maryville State Teachers College in Maryville, Missouri. She received her teaching certificate and taught at the Walnut Grove country school and the Fortescue grade school.

She married her high school sweetheart, Bryan Raud (Jock) Watts in 1937 and they moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, residing there with their two daughters, Karen Vawn and Sharen Dawn. Doris was a stay at home mom until Bryan passed away in January of 1952 at age 41. In the summer of 1952, Doris and her daughters moved to Fortescue to live with her mother Helen Markland.

Doris married Lawrence Quentin Goolsby in December of 1954 and continued to teach school and pursue her education at Northwest Missouri State College. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in 1963 and taught in the Fortescue and Craig School systems until retiring in 1974.

She and Quentin moved to Mound City’s North Ridge Apartments in 1993 and to the Morton House assisted living in Nebraska City in 2002. Quentin passed away in 2005. Doris moved into Pleasant View Care Facility in Rock Port, Mo. in 2008 and passed away June 12, 2012 just seven days prior to her 98th birthday. Doris was the last living granddaughter of John C. Hinkle.

Doris was a member of the Fortescue Methodist Church, the United Methodist Women’s Organization and the Fortescue Garden Club. She was a Fortescue reporter for the Mound City Newspaper and a gifted writer. She wrote poetry and was published in “Woman Writers Along The Rivers” 1850-1950, funded in part by the Missouri Western State College Foundation.

She is survived by her daughter Karen Vawn (Dr. John) Wanamaker, Hamburg Iowa, six grandchildren, Brian Ireland of Westwoods, Kansas, Shawn Ireland of Liberty, Missouri, Steven Ireland of Omaha, Nebraska, Kirbi (Andrea) Carder of Rock Port, Missouri, Kevin (Jolene) Carder of Tarkio, Missouri, Karen (Scott) Burke of Fairfax, Missouri and twelve great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Sharen Dawn Carder and great grandson, Nicholas Eugene Carder.

Private family graveside services were held at Mount Hope Cemetery in Mound City on June 16, 2012. Memorials may be donated to the Holt County Historical Society, 115 Ada St. Mound City, Missouri 64470.