Obituary of Shirley May Briscoe

Shirley May Briscoe Funeral services for Shirley May Briscoe of Elsberry, MO will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday January 19, 2008 at the First Christian Church in Elsberry. Rev. Tom Schofield, church pastor, will officiate with burial in Elsberry City Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Jake Briscoe, Josh Briscoe, Brad Carr, Blake Carr, Dylan Briscoe, Max Witherspoon, Marc Witherspoon, Alex Owens, Evan Owens, Heather Lilledahl, Jill Briscoe, Erin Carr, Sara Fry, Rachel Carr, Amber Briscoe, Hannah Briscoe and Marlo Witherspoon. Shirley, 78, passed away Saturday afternoon, January 12, 2008 at her home in Elsberry surrounded by her family. Born June 15, 1929 in Cushing, OK, she was the daughter of Alfred "Poppa Guy" and Lillian Irene "Manny" Burbridge Ray. She graduated from Elsberry High School in 1947, and was honored to be the first Fall Festival Queen. She was united in marriage on October 11, 1947 in Elsberry to Joseph Marlowe Briscoe. This union was blessed with six children: Joe, Shelley, Mike, Maureen, Wally and Steve. Shirley was a member of the Elsberry First Christian Church. She ensured her children were at every church function and herself served on various committees, in addition to serving as church pianist/organist for 56 years. She proudly served as bugler during wartime and more recently played the piano for the residents of the nursing homes in Louisiana, Silex and Elsberry. Everyone who entered her home came in through the kitchen and she always had good food ready. She enjoyed all types of music, and she and Marlowe loved to dance together for years. Shirley was co-owner and bookkeeper for Ray & Briscoe Excavating and then R-B Quarry near Foley, retiring in 2000. She was a member of CWF (Christian Women's Fellowship), the DAR - Troy Chapter, the American Legion Auxiliary, various social clubs and the Order of the Eastern Star for 50 years. She bowled for years in O'Fallon, and was an avid bridge player. She was preceded in death by her parents, Alfred "Poppa Guy" and Irene Ray; one son, Michael Briscoe; one son-in-law, Bob Carr; and her beloved husband of 54 years, Joseph Briscoe who died December 30, 2001. Survivors include three sons: Joe Briscoe and his wife, Peggy, Wally Briscoe, and Steve Briscoe and his wife, Sheila, all of Elsberry; two daughters: Shelley Carr of Jefferson City, MO, and Maureen Witherspoon and her husband, Max, of Conroe, TX. She also leaves seventeen grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Friday, January 18, 2008 at the Elsberry First Christian Church. Memorials may be made to the Elsberry First Christian Church in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 107 South Fifth Street, Elsberry, MO 63343. Online condolences may be made at www.carterricksfuneralhome.com.