Mrs. Jewell Rice Goree

Jewell Rice Goree’s hope was made complete on Monday, July 15, 2019 surrounded by her loving family at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika. She was 85 years old.

Jewell was born on January 17, 1934, to the late William Oscar and Annie Maude Rice in Troup County, GA.

After losing her father at a young age, she and her mother followed her sister and her husband to Opelika in 1948. Jewell’s family and her sister’s family lived in houses side by side until her sister’s death.

On April 5, 1950, Jewell married the love of her life, William Langley "Billy" Goree Sr.  Not long after their marriage, Jewell began working in the sewing plant of Opelika Manufacturing Corp., enjoying her many years there. In the 1970s, Billy and Jewell decided to go into business for themselves and opened Goree's Upholstery on First Avenue in Opelika where she again put her talent as a seamstress to work. They retired from the upholstery business in 1996 and enjoyed travelling in their travel trailer, especially to North Alabama to visit family there. Following Billy's death in 2001, Jewell began working with her son Jimmy and his wife Pam Goree as part of Goree's Furniture where she worked every day until last week. Jewell, better known as Maw-Maw, loved her family dearly and was the matriarch of the Goree family.

Mrs. Goree loved the Lord and was firm in her faith. She was a member of Airview Baptist Church and later Central Baptist Church where she taught Bible School.

Jewell is preceded in death by her parents William Oscar and Annie Maude Rice, her husband of 50-plus years William Langley Goree Sr. , brother John William Rice, sister Eugenia Rice Slagle, daughters-in-laws Cindy, Julie and Delia Goree, grandson Jimmy Karl Goree Jr.

She is survived by her five children: William L. Goree Jr., Danny R. Goree, Jimmy K. Goree (Pam), Kenneth M. Goree, and Susan Goree Goslin, all of Opelika; six grandchildren: Jill (David) Darnell of Cusseta, AL; Jeremy (Jennifer) Goslin of Opelika; Shellie (Jeff) Smith of Auburn; Jeannie (Josh) Peden of Pensacola, FL; Bradley Goslin of Pensacola; and Christopher Goree of Atlanta, GA; seven great-grandchildren: Grace Darnell, Abbey Darnell, Jackson Darnell, Davis Peden, William Goslin, Danielle Goslin, and Grayson Smith; niece Linda (John) Murchison of Niceville, FL, and nephew Donald Goree of Gadsden. AL; co-workers at Goree’s Furniture as well as a host of special customers from Goree’s Furniture throughout the years.

She was a Maw-Maw not only to her grandchildren but to many in the Opelika community with whom she considered her own.

Visitation will be 3p.m. until 4p.m., Thursday, July 18, 2019 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home with the funeral service following at 4p.m. with Dr. Rusty Sowell officiating. Burial in Garden Hills Cemetery.

The family thanks the Opelika community for all of the love and support given to our Maw-Maw throughout the years. Flowers will be accepted or a donation can be made to your favorite charity in her memory.

Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directing.

www.jeffcoattrant.com