Bethany, MO: Audra Maurine (Shackelford) Preston, 77, Bethany, MO passed away Friday, April 26, 2019 at a St. Joseph, MO hospital.
She was born July 28, 1941 in Mt. Moriah, Missouri the youngest of 7 children to Ellis A. and Fern (Alexander) Shackelford.
Maurine was a member of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church.
On October 5, 1958, she married Corlas Theodore “Ted” Preston in Meadville, Missouri and to this union 3 children were born, Ellison, Rodney and Teresa.
Maurine worked for Best Western I-35 Inn and South Harrison School District until health issues forced her to retire from the work force.
She spent summers canning veggies and making salsa and ketchup. Over the years, Maurine made several dozen cookies, cakes and cobblers on the spur of the moment as grandkids would call and say, “Grandma, I need cookies for school tomorrow” or “I need a cobbler for the bake sale”.
She loved to cook and loved family dinners. When she was finished cooking and time to eat she would go find the youngest grandbaby and tell whoever was holding that baby, “give me that baby and you go eat”. She loved rocking her grandbabies.
Maurine enjoyed quilting and made each child, grandchild and great-grandchild a quilt or quiet book.
Maurine was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Lester, Lawrence and Aaron Shackelford; sisters, Nadine Kinnison and Viola King; son, Ellison Preston and great-granddaughter, Abigail Parsons.
Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Ted, of the home; son, Rodney (Amy), Bethany, MO; daughter, Teresa (Lynn) Parsons, Hatfield, MO; daughter-in-law, Betty Preston, Bethany, MO; sister, Ruth Combs, Princeton, MO; 7 grandchildren, Jaimie Smith, Liberty, MO, Jerad (Shannon) Preston, Green Bay, WI, Jillian Roach, Ashland, MO, Chris (Lynnette) Parsons, Memphis, MO, Audra (Clinton) McLain, Gilman City, MO, Tyler Preston, Kirksville, MO and Alisha Nunn, St. Joseph, MO; 16 great-grandchildren, Paighton, Kaidie, Griffin, Lilly, Layla, Jack, Owen, Teddy, MaKenzie, Clayton, Maverick, Waylen, Emerson, Preston, Aubrey and Allison; brothers and sisters-in-law and numerous nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held 2:00 p.m. Monday, April 29 at Roberson Funeral Home, Bethany, MO. Burial will follow in the Lloyd Cemetery, Mt. Moriah, MO. The family will receive friends from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Lloyd Cemetery in care of Roberson Funeral Home, P.O. Box 46, Bethany, MO 64424. Online condolences may be left at www.robersonfuneralhome.com.