Beth Decker died at home of natural causes in Allen, Texas, after a very long, eventful and quite happy life.
Beth was born on September 8, 1923 to Mary Eunice Cox Jennings and Dee Jennings in Charleston, Missouri where she lived the first 17 years of her life, attending the public schools and graduating as Salutatorian of the senior class. She received her BS degree in Business Administration from Culver Stockton College in Canton, Missouri in three years because of the accelerated WWII program.
Immediately afterward, she and John Decker of St. Louis were married and lived at the University of Chicago three years until John received his graduate degree in theology.
In the lovely town of Amery, Wisconsin, three daughters were born: Paige (husband Grant Thompson), Alita Ann, and Zelda (husband Beverly Casanova).
After Amery they lived in Hilo, Hawaii and Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Beth taught business for 20 years at the Green Bay Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison. She also wrote an extensive cookbook which will be published this fall.
Many wonderful friends were made over the years along the way. The last years of her life were lived in beautiful Texas and hardly could have been happier.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her brother, Dee Cox Jennings; daughter, Alita Ann; and granddaughter, Emily Paige Short. Beth is survived by two daughters: Paige Short of Rome, Italy and her husband, Grant Thompson; and Zelda Casanova of Lucas, Texas, and her husband F. Beverly Casanova, and his sister, Love Casanova; grandchildren Briley Casanova and Cole Casanova of Lucas, and Alan Short of London, UK; and the loving Jennings family: Bryan Jennings and wife,Yolanda; Jennifer Jennings and husband Larry Sakadinsky; and Wesley Jennings and his wife Reena, and their children.
A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, September 5, 2019 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas.
Memorial contributions may be made in Beth’s honor to ASPCA OR Planned Parenthood.