Betty Cooley Cook

Betty Cooley Cook of Lyman died Friday, May 27, 2016 at Canon Hospice in Gulfport. Betty was born on February 8, 1936 in the Rustin community of Jones County. She was the youngest of five children born to James A. Garfield Cooley and Eva Marie Collins Cooley. She graduated from Beat Four High School near Waynesboro, MS. On November 1, 1953 at the age of 17, she married the love of her life, Kerney Hall Cook of Heidelberg, MS. She moved with Kerney and became an Army wife to Fort Rucker, AL where they stayed for the next three years. It was her first time to ever leave South Mississippi. In 1955, he received orders to go to Germany for the next three years where both of her beloved sons were born. Other assignments included Fort Campbell, KY; Winston-Salem, NC; West Palm Beach, FL; Ft. Bragg, NC and Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. During the Korean, Dominican Republic and Vietnam deployments she remained in the states with her children. Midway through the Vietnam deployment, she met Kerney in Hawaii for some R&R where he gave her blue star sapphire jewelry which she treasured her entire life. Later in 1969, while she and the boys remained in Biloxi, Hurricane Camille devastated the area. They finally settled in their dream home in Lyman in 1971. Betty also retired from Harrison County school system, worked at K-mart in Orange Grove and volunteered at the Orange Grove Chamber of Commerce but her most important job was always being a devoted military wife and mother. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Lyman where she enjoyed singing in the choir. She and Kerney were also members of Woodmen of the World. She was preceded in death by her devoted husband, Kerney Hall Cook; father; mother; brother, Pat Cooley; sister, Edith Cooley Waltman; and second husband, Darwin Harmon of Sumrall, MS. She is survived by her sons, Michael (Connie) Cook of Jasper, AL, David Cook of Daphne, AL; and former daughter-in-law, Tina Bond Cook; grandchildren, Joseph (Amy) Cook, Daniel (Laura) Cook, Sarah (Justin) Combs and Tyler Cook; 8 great-grandchildren, Emma, Ella, Lily, Andrew, Anna, Jonathan, Sophia and Emaline; brother, Mikey Cooley of Waynesboro, MS; and sister, Irma Sue Cooley Bettinger of Quitman, MS. The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to her caregiver, Donna Bond, the staff of Canon Hospice and Chaplain Craig Ladner. The funeral service will be Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 10:00 am at Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th St., Gulfport where friends may visit one hour before the service. Interment will be in Biloxi National Cemetery.