Cois E. Woodard

By Staff
January 6, 2008
Funeral for Cois E. Woodard, 83, of Eva was Saturday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Hartselle with the Rev, John David Crowe officiating and Hartselle Heritage Funeral Home directing.
Burial with full military honors was in Key Cemetery in Gandy’s Cove.
Mr. Woodard died Sunday, Jan. 6, in Nashville, Tenn. He joined the U. S. Army/Air Force at the age of 19 and was trained as a cannoneer and Browning automatic rifleman specialist. He was first stationed in England and later served in the European Theatre in France and Germany. He participated in the Ardennes breakthrough campaigns and has special memories of the Battle of the Bulge, often relating his experiences to his grandchildren. He was awarded three Bronze Stars, the Good Conduct Medal and the Victory Medal in 1945.
Returning to Alabama after the war, he attended St. Bernard College in Cullman where he played football and basketball. After managing the familybusiness, Woodard’s Dry Goods Store on Moulton Street in Decatur, he went to work for Wolverine Tube in February 1949. That August he married Betty Virginia Morris. He retired from Wolverine in 1986 after 37 years. He returned to the family farm in Eva where enjoyed raising Black Angus cows. He was baptized in 2004 and. loved Sacred Harp singing and attending his grandsons’ football and golf games.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 53 years, Betty Virginia Morris Woodard, and their only son, Ross Woodard. He is survived by three daughters, Bonnie Blue McDaniel and husband Mike of Florence, Beth Ann Woodard Sheehan of Decatur and Love Lea Woodard of Nashville, Tenn; four grandsons, Ross Woodard II, Miles Sheehan, Chaillie Carnegie Watkins III and Woodard Firestone Fite Watkins; three granddaughters, Kayla McDaniel, India Sheehan and Anna Laura Sheehan; and a sister, Reuben Nell Morris.
Pallbearers were Chris Bryant, Scott Woodard, David Woodard, Baxter Bryant, Don Dougherty, J.R. Goad Jr., Bryan Moses and Steve McKee. Honorary pallbearers were Fred Morgan, Jimmy Adams, Buddy Dunlap, Bill Dukes, Winford Holmes, Vernon Oden, Ronald Johnson, Scott McKelvey, Joe McKelvey and brothers-in-law.