Audrey Elsie Coats, age 78, of Aurora, Missouri, passed away peacefully on August 29, 2025. Born on June 11, 1947, in Thayer, Missouri, to Seay Ralph and Jeannette Marie (Kopp) Barnett, Audrey lived a life filled with love, devotion, and heartfelt strength.
Audrey was a woman of many joys—she found comfort in cooking, delight in word searches, and her greatest happiness in being a grandmother. Her warmth and spirit touched everyone who knew her, and her legacy lives on in the family she cherished. Audrey was a faithful member of Stateline Pentecostal Church in Thayer, Missouri, where she found spiritual strength and community throughout her life.
She is survived by her children: Jeannette (David) Heard, Merlene (Larry) Ward, Stephen Ford, and Rebbeca (Beau) Beville; and her grandchildren: Johnny, Christopher, and Tim Wright; Jenna and Courtney Heard; Cody and Michelle Ward; Katrina Grimes; Timothy Summers; and Eric and Ethan Beville.
Audrey was the beloved sister of Ralph (Tina) Barnett of Nixa, Missouri; John Barnett of Ava, Missouri; Lucille (Don) White of Marionville, Missouri; and brother-in-law Everett Pendergrass of Ash Grove, Missouri.
She had one special great-niece, Ashley Jutras, several nieces and nephews.
Audrey was preceded in death by her parents, Seay Ralph and Jeannette Marie (Kopp) Barnett; her husband, Carl Ray Coats Jr., whom she married on January 2, 1998, in Salem, Arkansas; and her sister, Edna Pendergrass.
Audrey’s life was an expressive testament to love, resilience, and the joy of family. Her memory will be carried forward in the hearts of those who knew her, and her spirit will continue to inspire kindness and connection.
Memorials can be sent to the
Stateline Pentecostal Church
1225 County Road 269
Thayer, Missouri, 65791
Officiating will be Pastor Wayne Hurst. Pallbearers will be Stephen Ford, Beau Beville, Eric Beville, Johnny Wright, Rags Sparks and David Heard. Honorary Pallbearers will be Ethan Blevins and Mason Harms.
Visitation will be Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the Carter Funeral Home Chapel of Thayer, Missouri.
Funeral will be on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the Carter Funeral Home Chapel of Thayer, Missouri.
Interment will be Sunday, September 7, 2025, at the Thayer Cemetery of Thayer, Missouri.
Services in care of Carter Funeral Home Inc., – Thayer, MO
September 5, 2025 @ 7:48 pm
My thoughts for your family are totally inadequate .my prayers for comfort for you all as only a loving God can do peace .