Aretha "Cora Lee" Marshall

Aretha Cora Lee Marshall, 74, transitioned from her earthly home to her heavenly home, and received her wings on June 22, 2022, at Research Medical Center. She was born on January 11, 1948, in Center Ridge, Arkansas to the union of Altha and Versa Dooley. She was the middle child of the union. She is Preceded in death by her older sister, Emma Jean Drummer. Cora began her Education in the Conway Arkansas School District where she attended Center Ridge Grade School up until the 6th Grade and then went to Menifee Highschool up until the 11th grade. she then relocated to Kansas City, MO where she graduated at Lincoln Highschool, class of 1966.

As a child, Cora attended Friendship Baptist church in Arkansas where she accepted Christ in her life. She had a heart of GOLD, and a smile and laugh that was contagious.  She has always treated everyone with love and kindness and always had words of encouragement. If you needed someone to talk to, she would always lend you her ear. You could talk to her about anything. If you needed something, she would go out her way to get it for you. she also believed in working hard for what she wanted out of life. She was very self-sufficient. She enjoyed having fun time with family and close friends. If you came over her house, she would make sure you ate and drank good.

As a young adult, she has always enjoyed using her hands. she was raised in Arkansas, in the country, where her grandmother Cora and her mother versa taught her how to cook and sew. her father Altha, taught her how to fish and protect herself with different guns.

Cora started working for the Municipal Court as a ticket clerk in downtown Kansas City, Mo back in the early 70's for a couple of years, left there and went to Newspaper Electronics for a few years working as an Electronic Assembler, left there and went to Libby Welden doing the same affliated work. After being laid off, she went to Western Electronics, working as a Sorter for AT&T products. In less than a year, she got laid off from there. A few months later, she decided to take a leap of faith and follower her passion, which was hair, nails and makeup. She moved back to Arkansas to and went to beauty school. While in school she began to practice on family and friends until she mastered her craft. She did so well that she had developed a large clientele. After she finished hair school, she worked in different salons and barbershops in Morrilton, Arkansas. A few years later, she decided to relocate back to Kansas City, MO to further her career as a beautician, so she ended up working at a high-volume beauty salon and got more clientele. After the shop closed, she decided she wanted to specialize on coloring and cutting, and started working a Great Clips, that's where she fell in love with hair all over again. After working there for over 10 years, she retired and started doing hair at home. After being at home for a while, she ventured off to making wigs from scratch, then decided she wanted to work part time. She started working at Hickman Mills School, which was contracted through Linc Systems, where she worked with kids in their afternoon program. After working at the school, she decided that she just wanted to drink her coffee, eat good food and travel. She loved her some good crispy fried chicken and seafood and loved to drink her coffee. A few of her favorite cities to visit was Atlanta and New Orleans.

She will truly be missed and remembered by her fun, purple, warm-hearted, honest, strong-willed, bright spirit, superwomen, and electric personality. She was an amazing mother, wife, daughter, cousin, aunt, sister, grandmother and best friend.

Cora leaves to cherish the memories and her legacy to her children: Robert Brown, Vanessa Maxi, Parnell Marshall Jr;- God son: Devon Nelson; mother: Versa Dooley; sister: Alma Dooley; a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, great nephews; ex-husbands: Gene Brown and Benjamin White; best friends: Alma Jean, Rea Gatewood, Evelyn Hildebrand, and Ty. just to name a few. Now she's resting in paradise with God along with her late husband: Parnell Marshall; Father: Altha Dooley; and oldest sister: Emma Jean Drummer.