Mourners fill Lodge of Four Seasons to honor fallen Osage Beach officer

The Lodge of Four Seasons was full of mourners paying their respects to Phylicia Faye Carson on Thursday afternoon. Officer Carson was killed in the line of duty for the Osage Beach Police Department early Saturday morning.

“These past few days have been the worst days of my life,” says Grant Carson, Phylicia’s husband of nearly nine years, “I’m defeated and lost without her holding my hand.”

Carson’s oldest daughter, Teighan, urged people to give each other grace in the days to come, “She has been my favorite person pretty much my whole life. She was always joyous and full of laughter.”

“We are struggling, we are hurting beyond measure,” Grant Carson said while wiping away tears, “But my wife is now changing the world, just like I knew she would and in much bigger ways than I ever imagined.”

Mourners heard from coworkers who spoke on Phylicia’s love of peach tea and decorating.

“As you know, Phylicia would be highly disappointed if I didn’t show up with one of these (peach tea), if you know, you know,” says James Boren, Lake Ozark’s Police Chief.

Dillion Green with the Missouri State Highway Patrol also brought a peach tea to the podium while telling a story about Phylicia’s love of decorating, “Even when told not to, she would bedazzle her computer with sparkles because that was Phylicia. Always true to herself, always making things brighter.”

Following the ceremony a private burial will take place at Freedom Cemetary. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the family through the Mason Griffith Foundation .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOLR - OzarksFirst.com.