Yvonne Greene passed away the morning of July 4, 2014. She was born March 30, 1919 on a farm near Giltner, Nebraska where her parents, Guy Jay Godown (1894-1959) and Elizabeth Veronica (Foley) Godown (1893-1930) were tenant farmers.
Her brother, Leonard, was born in their house on another farm near Anselmo, Nebraska in 1922. When their mother died in 1930, Yvonne and Leonard went to live with their mother's sister, Greta. Guy married Mary Agnes McCarthy (1905-1978), a longtime, close friend to the Godown and Foley families, and the family was reunited. Later, two sisters and a brother, Eileen, John, and Elizabeth Anne were born to this marriage.
As youngsters, Yvonne and Leonard helped with chores on the farm, including milking the family cows twice each day and selling the milk to regular customers in Anselmo and Merna.
Yvonne graduated from high school in Merna, Nebraska in 1935, and then went on to attend beauty school in Grand Island, Nebraska. One night in Grand Island, she attended a wedding dance with a girlfriend who had been invited. There she met Dalvin Greene, who stopped by the dance while walking home from work. After Yvonne went to work in a beauty shop in Broken Bow, Nebraska, Dal would hitchhike from Grand Island to visit her. When the owner of the Broken Bow beauty shop decided to end her business, Yvonne and her Aunt Greta bought the shop and became business partners.
Dalvin joined the US Navy in 1938, but they continued to correspond. While on leave in 1944, they married on January 2, and when WWII ended, Dal was honorably discharged and returned to Nebraska. Trained as an electrician, he had difficulty finding sufficient work at home. Shortly after their first son, George, was born, Dal joined the new US Air Force at Lowry Field in Denver. Yvonne sold her beauty shop and the family moved to Denver. Three more children, Richard, Patricia, and Paul were all born in Denver while Dal was stationed there.
Yvonne maintained the household in different homes at all the ensuing Air Force duty assignments Dal received in New York, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Michigan, and the United Kingdom. She managed the household by herself in Broken Bow when Dal went to Korea (1953-54) and the family was not allowed to follow. A daughter, Mary, was born into the family while stationed in the United Kingdom, and a son, Tom was born in Michigan.
When Dal retired from the Air Force in 1961, he remained in Michigan for a time, and Yvonne moved the family by herself to Denver, where Dal was to begin a new civilian job. In 1962, when Dal located a better position in Austin, he left to start the job in early spring, and Yvonne once again moved the family herself from Denver to Austin.
In Austin, Yvonne nurtured and encouraged all six kids to excel in school and to do their best in all things, and when the time came, she played a major role in raising and shaping the character of her grandchildren while parents worked. She was always there to support them when they needed it. In addition, Yvonne always found time to help with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and other church activities.
Her parents, Guy, Elizabeth, and Mary Godown, an infant brother, Guy Edward, her brother, John, her husband, Dalvin, and one grandson, Brian, preceded her in death. She is survived by her brother Leonard (Josephine), two sisters, Eileen (Larry) and Elizabeth Anne, sister-in-law, Delores, her six children, George (Juanita), Richard, Patricia Whiteside (Robin), Paul, Mary Remore (Rick), and Tom; eight grandchildren, Eddie Greene (Amanda), Michael Greene, Kim Morgan (Chris), Robert Stonecipher (Mary), William Whiteside, Brandy Whiteside (Justin Little), Tanya Remore, and Jamie Remore (Sheri); twelve great-grandchildren, Stormey and Destinee Slussler-Greene, Chris and Jaxson Greene, Nichole Morgan (James), Ben Morgan, Rachel, Justin, and Alyssa Stonecipher, Matthew Remore-Weaver, and McKinley and Ryleigh Remore, three great-great grandchildren, Max Garcia, Jordan Morgan and Konner Morgan, thirteen nieces and nephews, twenty-four grand nieces and nephews, and four great-grand nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at 5:00 pm on Thursday, July 10, at Weed-Corley-Fish, 2620 South Congress Avenue in Austin, followed by a Rosary at 7:00 pm. A Mass for Christian Burial will be offered at St. Ignatius Catholic Church, 126 West Oltorf Street at 10:00 am on Friday, July 11. Burial will follow at Assumption Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the St. Vincent De Paul Society will be appreciated.
Honoring Yvonne and serving as pallbearers will be George Greene, Richard Greene, Paul Greene, Tom Greene, Michael Greene, Eddie Greene, William Whiteside and Jamie Remore. Honorary pallbearers will be Robin Whiteside and Rick Remore.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18