Cozette E. (Fahrenbruch) Varg

August 17, 1917 - May 25, 2014

Funeral services 2 p.m., Saturday, at the United Methodist Church in Shickley, Nebraska. Visitation Friday, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. with family greeting friend at the Farmer & Son Funeral Home in Geneva. Interment is in the Ong Cemetery following the funeral service. Memorials to United Methodist Church. Heaven has been graced with an amazing, caring, loving and vivacious Angel. Cozette entered this world on August 17, 1917, at her family’s farm in Ong, Nebraska. Born to Irvin and Edith (Aspegren) Venell, Cozette was later joined by two brothers, Irvin, Jr. and Curtis. Their close-knit family enjoyed growing up on the farm, surrounded by countless cousins, aunts, and uncles. Cozette attended elementary school in a small, one-room schoolhouse just down the road and later graduated from Ong High School. Cozette continued her education at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln where her studies focused on mathematics. In college, she lived with relatives and worked for her room and board by cooking and cleaning. She also sold chocolates at a Russell Stover store and worked for an insurance company in Lincoln. During her college years, she attended a dance and met Richard (“Dick”) Fahrenbruch. Cozette and Dick were married in 1940 in Shickley, Nebraska. The newlyweds moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota where Dick worked for Sears, Roebuck & Co. Soon after Dick returned from his service in World War II, the two welcomed their son, Paul, born in 1947 in Lincoln, followed by their second son, James, born in 1950 in Omaha. Sears took the family throughout the Midwest. They moved to Kearney, Nebraska in 1953 and Coffeyville, Kansas in 1958. From Kansas, they again moved south, this time to Enid, Oklahoma in 1962. Shortly after the family’s arrival in Enid, Dick passed away, unexpectedly, in 1962. As a young widow, Cozette remained in Enid to raise her two boys. Although now a single parent, Cozette’s love and devotion to her boys never dwindled. She was always helpful, always cheerful and always present for Paul and Jim. She served as Cub Scout den mother, PTA member and president, and Sunday school teacher at the First United Methodist Church while also building a career in real estate. Cozette was one of the first female real estate agents and brokers in Enid and was elected to the Women’s Counsel of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. Even with her busy schedule, Cozette still made time to focus on her favorite hobby, china painting, and was a member then president of Porcelain Artists of Oklahoma. She was a member of P.E.O. for more than fifty years. Cozette was very proud that both of her sons attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman. However, her son, Jim, passed away in 1968 during his freshman year of college after being diagnosed and treated for Hodgkin’s Disease. Shortly after Jim’s passing, Cozette’s mother suffered a stroke. Cozette regularly and lovingly visited her parents at the family farm in Ong and in the nursing home in Geneva where the couple lived out the remainder of their lives. After more than two decades as a widow, Cozette found love again and married Paul Varg in 1984. Through this marriage, Cozette gained a daughter, Barbara. Cozette then moved from Enid to East Lansing, Michigan. During their time together, she and Paul enjoyed their summers at a much-loved cottage in Old Mission. Cozette and Paul had an adventurous ten years together with much travel, coffee clubs, happy hours, and laughter before Paul passed away in 1994 while in Florida. Cozette remained in Michigan before eventually moving to Dallas in 2001 to be closer to her son, Paul, and his four children. From 2001 until her passing, Cozette enjoyed her summers at the Old Mission cottage, but spent the rest of the year in Dallas, surrounded by the joys, smiles and endless activities of Paul, her four grandchildren and her six great-grand children. Never to shy away from keeping up with the youngest children, you could regularly find Cozette at a school performance, a soccer game, a dance recital, a football game, a karate test and a piano recital, sometimes all in one week! She was definitely a favorite among her great-grandchildren and was quite famous for making “perfect Jello” and delicious haystack cookies. In Dallas, Cozette enjoyed spending time with her friends in book club and the Big “D” Porcelain Painters Club. She also valued many friendships with fellow members of Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church. She survived the Depression, lost a brother in World War II, beat breast cancer, cared for her ailing parents, and dealt with the death of two husbands and her son, yet remarkably through it all, Cozette remained positive, optimistic, and friendly; she always had a smile for her family and friends. She was a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. We were all lucky to have her in our lives. One of Cozette’s amazing strengths was her ability to connect with others, establishing lifelong friendships with neighbors, co-workers, and fellow club members. She kept up with her friends and relatives for entire lifetimes, never forgetting someone after she moved to another city. She likely single-handedly kept Hallmark in business by sending birthday cards with personalized notes to her closet friends each year. She also adapted to the times by remaining in contact through personal phone calls and even e-mail messages to keep up with her countless friends. She was a friend in the truest sense. She genuinely cared about and supported her family and friends at all times. Cozette passed away on May 25, 2014 in Grand Island, Nebraska at the age of 96 years and 9 months. She was “home” in Nebraska for her annual visit over Memorial Day weekend to see friends and relatives, attend her 79th high school reunion and lay flowers at the cemeteries for Decoration Day. With family at her side, she passed away quietly and peacefully after living a very active, social, meaningful, loving, and healthy 96 years. Cozette was one-of-a-kind and will forever be missed and cherished. Cozette was preceded in death by her husband Dick Fahrenbruch and husband Paul Varg, her parents, Irvin and Edith Venell, two brothers, Irvin, Jr. and Curtis, and son, Jim. Cozette is survived by her son Paul Fahrenbruch of Dallas, Texas; four grandchildren Todd (and Heather) Fahrenbrook of Anchorage, Alaska, Kimberly (and Jason) Rich of Dallas, Amanda (and Brit) Smart of Dallas, Michael (and Meg) Fahrenbrook of Dallas; six great-children Andrew, Caroline and Benjamin Rich of Dallas and Tate, Emerson and Berkley Smart of Dallas. Cozette is also survived by step-daughter Barbara (and Al) Foreman of Lansing, Michigan and nieces Carol Fahrenbruch (and Jim Pridgeon) of Seattle, Washington and Anne Fahrenbruch of Seattle.