Rachel Doris (Cogburn) Manser

December 30, 1928 – September 19, 2010

Rachel Manser passed away peacefully surrounded by her family that loved her more than words can express. Rachel was one of ten children born to William Levi Cogburn and Lessie DeBerry (Johnson) Cogburn in Henderson County, Tennessee.

In her late teens she moved to Detroit, Michigan and was employed by the Briggs and Stratton engine assembly factory working on Corsair airplane engines used in WWII. She then worked at Bell Telephone as an operator. Her great enjoyment and talent was singing. She sang on the radio in Detroit, and once sang at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. In Detroit she met John R. (Jack) Manser and fell in love. They were married in Detroit in 1953 and soon moved to California. They lived in Burbank, CA where Joseph was born, and then dad discovered beautiful Santa Barbara and they moved here in 1956. A year later James was born, then Victoria. Her children were everything to her and she was everything to us. She was a great mom, funny, beautiful, talented, and very creative. She returned to work in the late 1960’s and worked as a telephone operator, retiring from GTE in 1993. She loved her children and she loved being a grandmother.

Rachel is preceded in death by her husband John R. (Jack) Manser. She is survived by her children Joseph (Janet) Manser of Buellton, CA, James (Sue) Manser of Longview, WA, Victoria (H. Rudi) Stuber of Santa Barbara, CA, and grandchildren Tyler, Scott, Joey, and Katie and many loving relatives in Tennessee and Kentucky.

We are extremely grateful to, and would like to thank the staff at Cottage Hospital, Mission Terrace Convalescent Hospital, and The Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, for their compassion and care over the past two months.

There are no words that can express how much she will be missed.

A private gathering will take place at the Santa Barbara Cemetery in December.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, Santa Barbara Chapter in memory of Rachel Manser.