Edith Cody

Edith Cody was a woman that anyone would be lucky to have as a role model. Her kindness and generosity endeared her to many, especially her family. She was fun-loving and had an adventurous side, but she also had a strong work ethic and knew how to appreciate the simple yet beautiful things in life like laughing with friends and cuddling babies. Her long-lasting commitment to her husband and loved ones speaks volumes about her character and priorities.

The 1920s were a time of rapid change in the United States. Many technologies were improving and becoming more common like the automobile and the radio. More women were working outside the home, jazz music was gaining popularity, and the stock market crash of 1929 was looming on the horizon. It was during these years that Sam and Josie (Strickland) Lowery were busy raising their family in Morgan County in northern Alabama. In 1927, Sam and Josie got a special New Year’s gift when their daughter Mabel Edith was born.

It was a no-nonsense life for the Lowerys, and their children grew up knowing that hard work mattered and that a dollar needed to go a long way. Edith and her sister Dorothy pitched in by chopping the wood needed to heat the house and to burn in the cooking stove. Their three brothers, Sam, Erskin, and Earl, also worked hard, and the eight kids brought more than enough energy to the bustling household. The Lowerys divorced and half siblings were added to the family. Edith’s grandparents provided stability and love, and Edith loved visiting their home.

As a teenager, Edith worked at a restaurant near Courtland Army Airfield, a temporary training location set up for the Army Air Corps during World War II. It was not unusual for soldiers to stop in at the restaurant, and one day Edith caught the eye of one Samuel Cody, a young man from West Virginia stationed at the airfield. Something about her told Sam that she was the one, and he told his buddy that Edith was the girl he was going to marry. It was a long three years until he was discharged from the Army, but true to his word he traveled from West Virginia back to Alabama and he showed up at Edith’s front door.

Edith and Sam had something truly special. They were married on February 22, 1946, and never looked back. The two of them adored each other; they endured through the hills and valleys of life for sixty-two years.

When they were first married, they moved in with Sam’s family in West Virginia. Sam worked in his father’s saw mill and later in coal mining. After a couple of years, Sam thought the paper companies in the north might offer better employment opportunities, so they made the move to Michigan. Sam worked hard to provide for the family financially, picking up double shifts whenever he could, and Edith managed the home while raising their six children.

You can take the girl out of Alabama, but you can’t take Alabama out of the girl, a truth that her friends and family were grateful for when it came to Edith’s cooking. She brought her amazing southern cooking skills with her to Michigan, and her specialty was breakfast. Everyone relished her eggs, bacon, and phenomenal biscuits, and there were no complaints when it was breakfast for dinner due to Sam’s second shift schedule. Of special note were her chocolate and scrambled eggs, which Sam despised but the kids loved. She knew how to make sweet tea the right way as well as cornbread.

It was important to Edith to teach her children to be kind and respectful. They were told never to make fun of others and to remember their manners. Edith and Sam also made sure to create special memories for their kids. Sundays were special and included things like leisurely drives, picnics at Milham park, and hunting with Sam. Holidays were also sweet times together. Even though they didn’t have a lot of extra money, Edith always made sure that the children got new clothes for Easter and that the day included some special things for them. As the family grew, so did their Christmas gatherings, and Edith loved providing special dishes and thoughtful gifts. Her unconditional love expanded as grandchildren, great grandchildren, and even great great grandchildren received her special little attentions.

Edith lost Sam in November of 2008, and it was a devastating time. The closeness of their family was what sustained her, and eventually she pursued activities she loved. She enjoyed dancing and sometimes attended jam sessions in Scotts. She also liked listening to the live entertainment at the Coffee Klutch in Galesburg on Friday nights. Edith was a talented quilter and delighted people with her skill. She enjoyed word searches and was always up for a game of cards. She loved country music, especially Collin Raye and Tracy Byrd.

Edith was a great neighbor, and she didn’t let health challenges get in the way of friendship. When the time came for her to give up her driver license, she took to traveling by golf cart to visit friends nearby. She also spent some of her time putting together puzzles by her front window and waving to the passersby.

Edith leaves her loved ones with a remarkable example of beauty in simplicity. She passed on the fundamental principles of being kind, telling the truth, and looking others in the eye, and those things are indicative of the value she placed on people, not status or things. Her lasting impression is that of love, and none who knew her will forget.

Edith Cody died on Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at the place she called home for the last sixty-four years. She is survived by five children: Wayne (Jeanne) Cody, Brenda Murray, Irene (John) Herman, Tom (Linda) Cody, and Charlene (Kevin) Dinzik; eleven grandchildren; twenty five great-grandchildren; eleven great-great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Bonnie and Elaine. She was preceded in death by her husband Sam in 2008 and her son Charles in 2023.

Life Story services will be held at noon on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, at Betzler Life Story Funeral Homes, 6080 Stadium Drive, Kalamazoo. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Visit Edith’s webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com to archive favorite memories or photos and to sign her guestbook. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.