Oma Coursey-England

Oma entered into eternal life on January 21, 2017 in Clarksville, TN. She was born in the farming community of Spa, Kentucky March 26th, 1918. Her siblings were Roy, Eva, Allyne (Sissy), Clara, Jamie, Warren and Helen. They all will be welcoming her into Heaven.
All the children of the community attended a one-room school house near her parents' home. Her mother often boarded the annual school teacher. Oma was named after one of those teachers. Oma learned the German translation for her name when she lived in Garmisch, Germany 1947-1950. She kept hearing the neighbor children calling "Oma, Oma" and she didn't understand why the kids knew her name. A German clerk enlightened her when she looked at Oma's ID card, laughed and told her that her name meant "Grandmother" in German.
Oma married Maurice Coursey, a neighbor boy, who attended the one-room school and built the fire in the schoolroom for everyone to be warm. Maurice looked across the room and determined, "I am going to marry that girl."
Later, Oma rode a horse into Lewisburg, Kentucky to attend high school. Her brother Warren, always had her horse fed and saddled for her to ride. Many years later, she regretted she probably never thanked him.
Maurice and Oma were married April 1, 1939 and their daughter Nancy was born January 19, 1940 at Ft. Knox, Kentucky.
Oma and Nancy followed Maurice, in the military, around the country. Places like, Camp Polk, Louisiana, Ft. Bliss, Texas, Ft. Leavenworth, Leavenworth, Kansas, and Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. They lived in Lewisburg, Kentucky when Maurice served in WWII. After the war, Maurice was stationed in Garmisch Partenkircken and Bad Tolz, Germany.
Nancy and Oma boarded an L & N train compartment, obtained for them by Bill Crusott, Nancy's uncle. In New York, Oma and Nancy boarded a ship for a 14 day stormy crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
In Garmisch, Oma started a Sunday School class for the Army dependent children. It was the beginning of a lifetime of teaching Sunday School to children and adults.
When Maurice was ordered to the Panama Canal Zone, Oma started a youth group for the dependent children at Ft. Clayton, Panama Canal Zone.
When Oma returned to the U.S. in the Louisville, KY area, she taught an adult women's Sunday School class at Valley Station Baptist church for several years.
Returning to New Providence Baptist Church, she taught Sunday School and Training Union according to Sylvia Clardy and Joe Wayne Giles.
Oma's final teaching about Our God and His Son, Jesus, was at First Baptist Church in Clarksville, Tennessee. She and her friend, Jeanette Dabbs, welcomed many college kids to the College Class several years ago.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow her all the days of her life and she will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.
Oma is preceded in death by her siblings, and her mother, Elsa Elizabeth Tippett Whitson and her father George W. Whitson.
She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Anne Williams, stepson, George England and step-daughter Nancy and her granddaughter Leigh Anne Van Doren, husband Tom Van Doren, grandson Chris Williams, wife Amy Williams, great-grandchildren Tabitha Leigh and Jamie Nelle Van Doren, Christopher Dean and Sarah Anne Williams. Also, surviving nephews are Georgie Coleman Croslin, Lynn Croslin, George Warren Whitson, Russell Crusott, Jim Ellis, Billy Coursey, Joe Dorris, Danny Coursey. Surviving nieces are Martha Coursey, Ima Sue Danks, Margie Evelyn Thompson, Helen Gay Croslin Hippler, and Beth Simmons.
Funeral services will be Saturday, January 28, 2017 at McReynolds, Nave &Larson, 1209 Madison Street, Clarksville, TN.
Visitation at 10:30 and a service at 11:00 a.m. led by Dr. John Laida and Dr. Felts Dent.
Oma Nelle Whitson Coursey England will be buried at Spa, Kentucky cemetary following a 2:30 service at Elk Lick Baptist Church.