Goldie Louisa Goodman Hurley, 97, oldest child of Jessie Witchell Goodman and Nancy Jane Edwards Goodman, was born Nov. 29, 1910, at Malone in Texas County. She died March 18, 2008, at Houston House Nursing Center.
She accepted the Lord at age 14, was baptized by John Kock and joined the Big Creek Free Will Baptist Church. She remained a member there until after the death of her husband, when she moved her membership to the First Free Will Baptist Church in Houston.
As a young girl, she did housework in homes and cared for children for $1.50 per week and her board. She lived all her life in Texas County except for two years in St. Louis.
She married Roy Hurley March 3, 1928, by Justice of the Peace Rodney Wolford at the old monument shop on Main Street across from the courthouse in Houston.
The Hurleys had seven children. Mrs. Hurley helped on the farm until her sons were old enough to help. She assisted her husband in caring for the Big Creek Cemetery. They carried the mail for 21 years.
Mrs. Hurley cleaned the Big Creek church for years before moving to Houston. She cared for an aged mother-in-law, blind and deaf father-in-law and blind husband for a number of years.
She was preceded in death by her husband; two sons, Jesse and Wayne Hurley; three brothers, Paul, Ray, Elmer and two infants; two sisters, Sylvia Herndon and Dorothy Glenn; and five grandchildren.
Surviving are two daughters, LoRetha Wilhite and Marie Collins; three sons, Melvin, Arnold and Terry; two sisters, Doris Goforth and Lucille Christeson; 22 grandchildren and 45 great-grandchildren.
Services were March 22 at the Evans Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Harold Smith officiating. Burial was in the Big Creek Cemetery.