WARREN REYNOLDS COZBY, SR., 98, passed away on
June 14, 2016, in China Spring, TX, with burial in
Evergreen Cemetery at Ranger, TX.
Warren was born July 27, 1917 in Kansas City, MO to
Warren A. and Mary Frances Atteberry Cozby. He
graduated from Ranger High School at Ranger, TX in
1934 & Ranger Jr. College in 1936. In 1937 he joined
the CCC's and served in New Mexico. After his CCC
camp closed in Nov. of 1941, he became an Aviation
Cadet. He was in flight training class, 43-D, and
when he finished in 1942, he was commissioned a
Second Lieutenant, in the Army Air Corps. Afterwards
he was sent to the Europe with the 482nd Bomb Group,
Pathfinder, as a Co-pilot of a B-17F. He was shot
down over Chevincourt, five miles NE of Compiegne,
France in 1943, where he became a Prisoner of War
with six other members of his crew. Afterwards he
was sent to Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang, Prussia
54. At the end of the war he was liberated by the
Russians and then returned to the American lines.
After the war he entered Southern Methodist University
and graduated in 1948 with a Bachelor Degree from the
Cox School of Business. Then he re-enters the U.S. Air
Force where he served as a Supply Officer, and retired
as a Major in 1965. While in the U.S. Air Force he
served in Texas, England, Hawaii, Louisiana, Saudi
Arabia, Idaho, and retired in Waco, TX with twenty
years of service. After coming to Waco in 1961, he
became a member of the Masonic Lodge, Fidelis 1127,
and Scottish Rite Bodies 32 Deg, KCCH, York Rite and
was a Past Patron McLennan No. 639, OES. He also joins
the Waco Kiwanis Seniors in 1992 and served as treasurer
for the Waco Association of Retarded Children.
After retiring, he worked as an Insurance Salesman for
Prudential, as a Quality Control inspector for A.O.
Smith, and a teacher's aide at Texas State Technical
Collage. He also sold real estate for several years.
He also joined The National Society, Sons of the American
Revolution in 2002. He and his wife were members of the
Central United Methodist Church for over fifty years.
Warren married his wife Lilian Ashcraft (RHS-1945) of
seventy years, in Jan. of 1946 at Ranger.
He is survived by his wife Lilian Cozby, six of his
seven children: Jean Treadwell of Edgewater, FL; Mary
Dill of Memphis, TN; Robert Cozby of Winneconne, WI;
Warren Cozby, Jr. of Waco, TX; Oliver and Dana Cozby
of Forth Worth, TX; and Ceci Hanson of Round Rock, TX.
He is also survived by twelve grandchildren & fifteen
great-grandchildren, a sister-in-law: Flo Ashcraft
Baughman (RHS-1951) of Conroe, TX and her two sons,
Chris & Charlie Baughman, and a niece Linda Patton of
Austin, TX.
SON: ROLAND COZBY, 60, passed away May 23,
2014 in Austin, TX, with burial in at Evergreen
Cemetery in Ranger, TX.
Roland Gene Cozby was born Dec. 27, 1953 at Lake
Charles Air Force Base in Louisiana to Lilian
(Ashcraft) & Warren Reynolds Cozby. He was the
fifth of seven children. He attended classes
located in the Children’s Hospital of Waco under
the direction of Dona Ronk prior to entering
Travis State School near Austin, Texas. Roland
was later transferred to Austin State Living
Center in Austin. He was loved by all the staff
members where he was living at the time of his
death.
Roland is survived by his parents, Lilian and
Warren R. Cozby of Waco; three sisters, Ceci
Hanson and husband, Bill of Round Rock, Mary
Dill of Memphis, Tennessee and Jean Treadwell
of Edgewater, Florida; three brothers, Oliver
Cozby and wife Dana of Fort Worth, Warren Cozby,
Jr. and Robert Cozby of Waco; his Aunt Flo
Baughman and husband Dennis of Conroe; three
cousins, five nephews, seven nieces and other
extended family members.
DAUGHTER: MARY JOSEPHINE COZBY DILL, 75,
of Waco, TX passed away Jan. 24, 2024, with burial
in Evergreen Cemetery at Ranger, TX.
She was born Sept. 9, 1948 in El Paso, TX to Warren
Reynolds, Sr. & Ola Lilian (Ashcraft) Cozby. The
family moved a lot as Major Cozby was a member of
the U.S. Air Force. They settled in Waco where Mary
graduated from Waco High School and later the
University of Houston. Shortly after graduation
she married Richard Donald Dill, Jr. of North
Providence, RI. They then moved to Vallejo, CA to
be near his mother and step-father.
Mary took a job as a four-year apprentice at Mare
Island Naval Shipyard in Marine Electricity on
Nuclear Powered Submarines. After six years, Mary
transferred, with her husband, as Electrician to
Camp Stanley Storage Activity Army, San Antonio;
NSGA Winter Harbor, ME; and Audie L. Murphy VA
Hospital in San Antonio, TX.
Then Mary transferred to the Department of Veterans
Affairs National Cemetery Service as National
Cemetery Director. She trained for one year at
Houston National Cemetery, then transferred to
Salisbury National Cemetery, NC; Rock Island
National Cemetery, IL; National Memorial Cemetery
of Phoenix, AZ; and lastly, Memphis National
Cemetery, TN where she retired.
Mary was active in many organizations. She was
leader for one year for a troop of 32 Brownie
Girl Scouts. Mary was a life-long member of the
United Methodist Church, currently a member of
Cogdell Memorial United Methodist Church. She
served as President of Church Women United in
Memphis, TN and was awarded Valiant Woman.
Mary was active in a number of other organizations
including Order of the Eastern Star serving as
Worthy Matron in Adah Chapter No. 49, San Antonio;
Bartlett-O.K Houck No. 216; and Normal Whitehaven
No. 43 in Memphis, TN. She served as Grand Martha
in 2013. She was also active in Daughters of the
Nile serving as Queen in 2012 in Zia Temple No.148,
Memphis, TN, and dual member of Merak Temple No.104.
She was also a member of Henry Downs Chapter Daughters
of the American Revolution and Mary West Chapter No.
26 United Daughters of the Confederacy, both in Waco.
Mary enjoyed leisure activities such as crochet,
tatting, needlepoint, jewelry making, and reading,
winning a number of awards at the Mid-South County
Fair in Memphis.
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Richard,
in 2001; her parents; brother, Roland Gene Cozby of
Austin; and two nieces and a nephew.
She is survived by two sisters, Jean Treadwell of
Edgewater, FL and Ceci Hanson of Round Rock, TX;
three brothers, Robert Cozby of Sturgeon Bay, WI,
Warren Cozby, Jr. of Denton, TX and Oliver Cozby
and wife, Dana, of Fort Worth, TX.