Rosetta E. Cookingham

Rosetta E. Cookingham, age 92, of Ocean Springs, passed away on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. Rosetta was born in Little Rock, AR on March 2, 1926. She moved to New Orleans, LA and lived there until moving to Pass Christian, MS in 1942. She has lived on the Coast ever since. During WWII, she worked in a defense factory building PBY-5’s for Consolidated Air Craft in New Orleans. She worked for the Woolworth Co. and McCory’s in Gulfport for many years. She worked for the Jackson County Food Service for nearly 2 decades and Walmart for over 10 years. She is preceded in death by her husband, MSgt Franklin C. Cookingham; three sons, Jerry B. Cookingham, William “Billy” L. Lizana and James “Pete” E. Lizana; son-in-law, Larry Shoemaker all of Ocean Springs, MS; parents, Mary Agnus and William L. Ritter; two brothers, Warren “Ed” G. Ritter and Howard “Tex” W. Ritter of Long Beach, MS; sister, Gladys L. Brown of New Orleans, LA; and brother-in-law, Lenny Reinike of Long Beach, MS. She is survived by daughter, Gaynell “Nell” A. Shoemaker; three sons, Thomas “Tommy” E. (Eunice) Lizana, Owen C. (Bertie) Cookingham and Frank C. (Jackie) Cookingham; daughter-in-law, Leah Lizana of Ocean Springs; one sister, Joyce Reinike of Bay St. Louis, MS; many grand, great grands, and great great grandchildren. She will be forever loved and missed by all. Funeral service will be held on Monday, September 10, 2018 at the Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home at 11am. Friends may visit from 9am-11am. Interment will follow at D’Iberville Memorial Park. A gathering of friends will follow at Cedar Grove Community Center.