Ida "Teeny" (Howard) Forbau
January 12, 1923 — March 5, 2014
Decatur ~ Ida M. “Teeny” Cartwright Forbau, 91, went to be with our Lord Wednesday, March 5, 2014 in Fort Worth.
Funeral is 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 8, 2014 at First United Methodist Church in Decatur with burial in Oaklawn Cemetery. Family will receive friends 6-8 p.m. Friday at Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home.
Rev. Brian McPherson and Rev. Brian Bosworth will officiate. Pallbearers include Gary Prescott, Max Spencer, Eric Middleton, Stanley Pitts, Bert Little, Jr., and Bill Pitts. Honorary pallbearers are Bob Cartwright and Bert Little, Sr.
Teeny was born January 12, 1923 to Forrest and Flora (Kelly) Howard in Quannah, Texas. She was united in marriage to Bernhart “Bud” Forbau on May 24, 1968 in Dallas. Teeny was a retired Decatur elementary librarian. She also worked as a director at a senior center in Vernon. Teeny volunteered at Wise Regional Hospital in Decatur, where she made over 1000 teddy bears for the children at the hospital. She also collected hats for cancer patients. Teeny loved watching all types of birds, especially purple martins and could identify all types of birds surrounding her home.
Early on Teeny sang in the choir at the Decatur Methodist Church and had a fine voice. Later her voice changed so that family described as similar to Edith Bunker. Teeny always called everyone on their birthday and sang happy birthday. Grandchildren got quite a kick out of her Edith Bunker voice. Later, she was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Decatur for 74 years.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, C.A. Cartwright in 1961; her son, Jim Cartwright in 1971 during Vietnam; her second husband, Bud Forbau in 2009; her daughter, Jane Cartwright in 1947.
Those left behind to cherish her memory are her daughter, Judy Cartwright Ratzlaff and husband Roger of Willow Park; her grandchildren, Jerl E. McKinney and wife Cathy of Kiowa, Colorado, James A. McKinney and wife Candi of Willow Park, Jana M. McKinney Porter of McKinney, and Mark Ratzlaff and Laila of Fort Worth; her great grandchildren, Catherine McKinney Larson and husband Jed, Kelly McKinney, Jessica McKinney Mozjesik and husband Brenden, James H. McKinney, Evan Porter, and Lauren Porter; her great great grandchildren, Boaz Larson, Karah Larson, Jackson Mozjesik, and Savannah Mozjesik; her brother, Bill Howard; other family members and a host of friends.
Memorials may be made to Texas A&M Sul Ross Scholarship in memory of Jim Cartwright, Texas A&M Foundation, 401 George Bush Dr., College Station, TX 77840-2811.
Coker-Hawkins Funeral Home, Decatur, Texas, 940-627-5959