David Kenneth Couser

Dateline – Laurens, SC

David Kenneth Couser, age 73, of 323 Kingwood Estates, passed away Thursday, April 9, 2015. He was a loving husband to his wife Julia Ward Couser, and an outstanding father to his six children and fourteen grandchildren.
Ken was born in Shelbyville, Tennessee, and was the son of the late Lavon and Flossie Couser. He was the brother to his surviving sister, Clara Jo McGee and the late Carolyn McGee. He attended Central High School in Shelbyville where he was a star athlete back in the day. For years, he held several school basketball records. He was also the president of his high school class. He later attended the University of Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State University. For two summers during college, he worked on building the oil pipeline that ran from Louisiana to the East Coast. Later he would tell his children about eating cold Beanie Weenies and Vienna Sausages straight out of the can while working on the pipeline. Despite how attractive he made this sound, none of his six children ever developed an affinity for them. Ken also sold Bibles door-to-door. Later in life, he passed on these skills to his children by making them sell Lions' Club brooms door-to-door throughout Laurens. Ken was also a member of the Optimist Club in Shelbyville, which to his children meant they got to eat fresh, hot doughnuts at the Shelbyville Horse Show. Eventually, Ken began working for Jostens in Shelbyville before being transferred to Laurens in 1978. In Laurens, he worked for Jostens until he began investing in and developing real estate, a passion he continued until the end. He was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church where he served as an elder and taught Sunday School. He was loved by all that knew him and will be missed dearly.
He is survived by his wife, Julia Ward Couser of the home; his sons, Bill Horner (Kara), Karl Couser, Bob Horner, Keith Couser (Angie), Scott Horner and Kirk Couser (Hope); sister-in-law, Mary Ross Tucker and her son, Hutch Carter; and fourteen grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 11th at 4:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church of Laurens with burial in Westview Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends Friday from 6 to 8 PM at Gray Funeral Home of Laurens.
Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Laurens Youth Fund, 400 West Main Street, Laurens, SC 29360.
Condolences may be expressed online at www.grayfuneralhome.com
Gray Funeral Home of Laurens