Obituary: Cody, Olive (Duursma)
Age 95
CODY, Olive (Duursma)
(Age 95)
Olive Duursma Cody, passed away on December 22, 2016 in Bellingham, WA, with two of her beloved grandchildren at her side.
She was born to Clara (Bylsma) and Rudolph Duursma on November 5, 1920 in Steele, North Dakota.
She was raised in a farm family with two older brothers and three younger sisters, and attended a one-room country school.
She was the first in her family to graduate from Carrington High School, where she was the newspaper editor and the class salutatorian.
She became a Christian at the age of 16.
As a young woman she loved to ride horses, go dancing, and read, an activity she enjoyed her entire life.
She also had a lifelong love of music, especially old time country, folk and Irish.
After attending business college in Bismarck and working in Minneapolis, she married her long-time friend and beau, William F. Cody, in March of 1944.
Olive and Bill had two daughters, Kathleen and Colleen.
Olive enjoyed her career as a secretary, especially when she worked at the First Methodist Church in Missoula, Montana and at Fowler United Methodist Church in Spokane, from which she retired in 1989.
She was very active in the church, from teaching Sunday school and Bible classes to serving as an officer in the United Methodist Women and on several church boards.
After retirement she delighted in traveling throughout the United States, especially to visit family.
She enjoyed her final eight years in a Bellingham retirement home.
Olive will be remembered by family and friends as a very sweet, loving and generous person, who had a great sense of humor.
She is preceded in death by her husband, parents and siblings.
She is survived by daughters Kathy Cody and Connie (Larry) Welch; grandchildren: Tamara (Charles), James, Michael (Betsy), Kelly, Tracey (Ed); and great-grandchildren: Russell, Vivian and Axel.
She is also survived by step-grandchildren: John (Raelene), Mike and Laurie; step-great-grandchildren: Taylor, Justin, Connor and Kaiya; honorary grandchildren: Kristi, Mikayla, Clare and Emma; and several nieces and nephews.
Her memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, April 15, 2016 at Fowler United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made there in Olive’s name.