Elizabeth Lee Holland McCool

Elizabeth Lee Holland McCool was born on December 22, 1919, in South Carrolton, Kentucky. She died in Owensboro, Kentucky, on October 27, 2014. She was the daughter of Arthur and Pearl Holland and the oldest girl in family of eleven children.

She attended Western Kentucky University then worked at Ken-Rad Tube and Lamp Company in Owensboro. It was there that she met her husband of 72 years, Christopher D. McCool, who was an engineer at the plant. When Chris first saw Elizabeth working on the assembly line, he noted her beautiful smile and was immediately drawn to her. He told her he loved her for the first time on Pearl Harbor Day in 1941. They were married in October 1942 and traveled throughout the US with Chris' military assignments during WWII. From this loving relationship came three children, Sharon McCool Flynn, Patricia McCool Ducker (Larry) and J. Chris McCool (Susan).

Elizabeth was a fabulous cook, adored her immediate family as well as her brothers and sisters and was always in the middle of family fun and events. She taught her children all the necessary household skills, awakened them with hugs and kisses and prayed fervently for everyone, from her children, soldiers on the battlefield, to missionaries at home and abroad. If there was a hot meal on the table, her family attempted to have someone else deliver the prayer of thanks so the food would not get cold!

Ministry and love of the Lord was at the center of Elizabeth's heart and she displayed this in her activities and desires. At First Baptist Church, Owensboro, she wore a variety of hats over the years, including Sunday school teacher, church choir member, Woman's Missionary Union President and Prayer Ministry Coordinator (with her husband). She and Chris upon retirement served as Mission Service Corp Volunteers in California for five years.

She was involved in civic matters in Owensboro, having served on the Community Concert Board and President of the Southern Junior High School PTA. She loved her part time job at the former Anderson's Department Store as her children left the nest, as she was able to connect with so many of her friends as they shopped. A passion of Elizabeth's later years was genealogy research on the Holland, Robbins and McCool lineages. She and Chris would haunt graveyards and spent countless hours hand-assembling massive genealogy books for all her siblings and children.

Being married to the love of her life was a subject dear to her heart. In her later years, Elizabeth and Chris' story of their romance and her ever-fresh devotion to Chris was often told. She would always say, "God has truly blessed our marriage". Elizabeth is survived by her adoring husband Chris, who often said of his wife, "When I look at her I see the beautiful 23 year old I married". The day of her death Chris was holding her hand and looked her in the eyes and said, "You are my beautiful and my precious wife. I love you more than anyone in the world." It was true love for these two until "death due us part".

A scripture verse Elizabeth lived and believed was Colossians 1:27: Christ in your heart is your hope of glory. Elizabeth is now living in that glory!

In addition to her husband and three children, Elizabeth is survived by eight grandchildren: Todd Huss, Courtney Flynn, Sara Ducker Roberts, Laurie McCool Henderson, Josh Flynn, Eric McCool, Alex Flynn, and Nathan Ducker. Four siblings predeceasing Elizabeth are Harvey Lansdale Holland (Louise), James Arthur Holland (Dottie), Browder Robbins Holland (Inez), and Robert Franklin Holland. Surviving siblings are Margaret Lois Stevens, Carl Dean Holland (Marilyn), Martha Sue Thomas (Ray); Carolyn Fern Seward (Marlan), Evelyn Faye Snider (Ken), and Hilda Ann Berryman (Bobby).

Services will be 11 a.m. Monday, November 10 at First Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Sunday, November 9 at Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory and after 10 a.m. on Monday at the church. Burial will be in Owensboro Memorial Gardens.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of donations to Baptist Missions through First Baptist Church.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.glennfuneralhome.com.