Estella Gooch

Estella Gooch, 68, of Whitewater passed away Monday, March 28, 2011, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau.

She was born May 5, 1942, in Grandin, Mo., to Fred and Ruth Boyer Tubbs. She and John M. Gooch were married May 18, 1959.

In 1988, the Gooch family moved from Texas to Missouri. They have been residents of Whitewater since 1993.

Estella was a newspaper carrier 22 years for the Southeast Missourian. She also worked briefly at Chateau Girardeau until failing health forced her to retire. When she felt up to it, she enjoyed gardening roses and fishing.

Loving survivors include her husband of Whitewater; four sons, John A. Gooch, Ricky Dean Gooch, Mark (Anne) Gooch, and Dale Wayne Gooch, all of Whitewater; a daughter, Patricia Diane Spangler of Allenville; two brothers, Howard Tubbs of Texarkana, Texas, Raymond Tubbs of North Carolina; a sister, Betty Jolly of Texarkana; six grandchildren, Matthew Gooch, Kenneth Wallin, Kimberly Headrick, Sandy Edwards, Nicole Wallin, Terena Spangler; and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by two daughters, a son, a grandson, two sisters, a brother and her parents.

Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

The funeral is at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Luther Rhodes officiating. Burial will be in Whites Mill Cemetery in Ellsinore, Mo.

The family has requested that memorial checks be made to McCombs Funeral Home.

Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.mccombsfuneralhome.com.