Billie Jean Shultz

Billie Jean (Cobb) Shultz, 82, of St. Joseph, Mo., and formerly of Arapaho, died Feb. 23, 2018, at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph. 
Shultz was born Jan. 15, 1936, to Harvey and Grace Dovel Cobb at Gyp near Arapaho. In 1950 she moved to a farm near Whitesville, Mo., with her mother and step-father, Raymond Knauf. She graduated from Rosendale, Mo., High School in 1954 as valedictorian. 
In 1956 she graduated magna cum laude from St. Joseph Junior College, and then received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from Northwest Missouri State at Maryville in 1971, magna cum laude.
She married Earl Shultz Aug. 24, 1956, in Savannah, Mo. 
Shultz taught elementary education in Missouri for 38 years at Forest City, Craig, Raymore-Peculiar, Easton, Stewartsville, Camden Point and Platte City.
She and her husband both retired from teaching in 1995 and then moved to St. Joseph, Mo., after having lived in Dearborn, Mo., for 30 years.
Shultz was a member of Piece Corp Quilt Guild and Quilters Anonymous, YWCA and YMCA. She enjoyed quilting, knitting, crocheting and growing flowers. She was a member of The Whitesville Baptist Church. 
She was preceded in death by her parents; her step-father; a brother, Robert (Bob) Cobb of Weatherford; two sisters, Barbara Coit of Custer City and Marilyn Coit of Clinton; and her grandparents, R.R. and Mittie Cobb of Arapaho and Jim and Myrtle Dovel of Custer City.
Survivors include her husband, of the home; two sons, Johnny Shultz and wife Sue of Platte City, Mo., and Jim Shultz and wife Cindy of Savannah, Mo.; grandsons, Derek Shultz and wife Jessica of Kansas City, Mo., and Ryan Shultz of Savannah, Mo.; a granddaughter, Jessica Lee Shultz of Savannah, Mo.; two sisters, Betty Cabaniss of Arapaho and Linda Raye McCush of Amazonia, Mo.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. 
Shultz was cremated at her request and private interment will be at a later date in the Savannah Cemetery in Savannah, Mo.