Audrey Jewel (Beckman) Shock, 90, of Columbia, Mo., passed away Sunday, March 19, 2023. She was born to Elizabeth Marie (Hildebrand) Beckman and Henry Charles Beckman on November 11, 1932 in Montgomery county at the Beckman Home Place.
Audrey attended Mexico High School in Mexico, Mo., and graduated in 1950.
She worked at A.P. Green’s in Mexico for five years, then moved to Phoenix, Ariz. where she resided with her brother Ordell Beckman. She worked at the Chamber of Commerce while she lived there. In 1956 she left for Washington, D.C. where she waited for clearance in the Foreign Service and in 1957 Audrey travelled to Greece where she worked for the State Department for two years.
Audrey was married in 1959 in Zurich, Switzerland to Raymond Shock. Then she, with her husband Ray, returned to Mexico.
In 1960 they moved to Hazelwood, North County of St. Louis where Audrey went to work for McDonnell Douglass and retired after 30 years.
Her husband, Ray, passed away in 1997. They were happily married for over 30 years. In November, 2000 Audrey moved to Columbia.
Audrey was an excellent seamstress who was known to make her husband’s sharp looking suits and her nieces sundresses, also paper mache outfits for Halloween for Judy, Jeanette, and Kenny. Her favorite passion was the St. Louis Cardinals and watching the World Series and she also enjoyed collecting Featherweight Sewing Machines. Audrey once said she wanted a good variety of collectibles for her family to sell when something happened to her. She really liked looking for special items to add to her collection.
Audrey really enjoyed spending time with family and friends and also the Traveling with the Stars group with the First Christian Church. She also liked to play Bingo put on by the Parks Department. She was a member of the Red Hat Society and went to the Senior Center quite often.
Audrey was such a go-getter! She went to exercise classes three times a week at the Activities Recreation Center and played Bingo once a week.
Audrey’s father passed away when she was 13 years old. Her mother was a woman of great strength. She sold their belongings at auction in order to have money to raise her 4 children. When she went to the bank to withdraw the money, the bank president informed her that she could not have the money. Her mother went to the bank the next morning with a shotgun and walked away with her money.
Survivors include Audrey’s two nieces, Judy M. (Glatz) Atterberry (Larry) and Jeanette (Glatz) Decker (Robert), her nephew Kenneth W. Glatz (Annette), her many great nieces and great nephews, as well as a great, great nephew all of Columbia.
Audrey is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Ray, her sister Opal Glatz, and brother-in-law William W. Glatz, her brother Marvin (Delvine) of Payson, Ariz., and brother Ordell (Maxine) of Mesa, Ariz.
Memorial contributions are appreciated to St. James Evangelical Cemetery, c/o Larry Hauser, 18 Hwy K, Hermann, Mo. 65041, or First Christian Church at 101 N 10th St, Columbia, Mo.
Arrangements are under the direction of Parker-Millard Funeral Service & Crematory, 12 East Ash Street, Columbia, Mo. 65203 (573 449-4153). Condolences may be left online for the family at www.parkermillard.com
