Velma Lois Courtney Warner passed from this life on December 23, 2020 in Madisonville, Texas at the age of 92 years. She was born in Friday, Texas on October 22, 1928 to Willie Courtney and Nancy Ann Parish Courtney.
Velma's mother died when Velma was 5 years old and her sister Clara was 9 years old but about to be 10. Their daddy raised them throughout the rest of their childhood. They grew up in Friday, Texas and attended school in Friday. Later, all of the Friday kids were sent to attend school in Groveton, Texas. Velma graduated from Groveton High School the class of 1945. After graduation, she went to work at Ellington Field (Ellington Air Force Base), in the Houston area during World War II. She made a lot of friends there while she worked in personal affairs. She helped the service men that were shipping off to war to get their affairs in order. Different states had different laws and she helped these men to get the proper attorney for whatever state that they were from.
In 1946, when her sister Clara's husband came home from the war and they moved to the Galena Park. Velma moved back home to Friday to help her father. While she was home, she worked for the superintendent of schools in Groveton and then she met Billy Warner.
Two major things happened to Velma in 1947. In June 1947, she went to work in Houston for Duncan Coffee Company for what was supposed to be a five-week job and July 30, 1947, she married Billy Dudley Warner who was born and raised in Groveton, Texas. Billy had also gotten a job in Houston and they purchased their home in Galena Park, where they lived their whole married life. That was her home until she died in Madisonville.
Back to Duncan Coffee Company and her five-week job. That job turned out to be a 30 plus year career. By that time, Duncan Coffee Company had merged with Coca-Cola Foods Division and she retired in the administrative financial department as bookkeeper with 36 years' service. Velma also had a passion for genealogy. She traced her Courtney heritage back to 1066. She said she had gotten interested (caught the bug) from Groveton High School principal, Robert Mills and his wife. They were a great influence in genealogy. Velma was a member of several Genealogical Societies, but her favorite was the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society.
The final five years of Velma's life on this earth were spent in the home of her niece, Barbara Lowery Mize in Madisonville, Texas. For the last 18 months, she had been confined to a hospital bed in Barbara's home as a hospice patient. God had blessed her with a group of wonderful ladies to help care for her.
Teresa, Alicia and Cinda, a special thank you for all your care.

Mrs. Warner is preceded in death by her husband, Billy Dudley Warner; parents, Willie Courtney and Nancy Ann Parish Courtney; sister, Clara Courtney Lowery; nephew, Benny Lee Lowery. Her survivors include her niece, Barbara Ann Mize of Madisonville, TX; great-niece, Beverly Phillips of Madisonville, TX; great-nephew, Brett Richardson of Anderson, TX; great-nephew, Matthew Lowery of Tyler, TX; next generation nieces and nephews (Warner), Carol Ann Perry of Spring Branch, TX and Jack Perry of Spring Branch, TX and a host of friends also, survive.

Visitation will begin at 1 PM until service time at 2 PM on Saturday, December 26, 2020 at Groveton Funeral Home in Groveton, TX with Brother Lewis Jones officiating. Burial will follow in Glenwood Cemetery in Groveton, TX.
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