Community Corner

A Life Well Lived - Saying Goodbye to a Legend

Besse Brown Cooper was laid to rest in Walton County on Dec. 8, 2012. She died on Dec. 4, 2012, 100 days after her 116th birthday and at the time of her death the oldest living person in the world on record.

Besse Cooper, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother was laid to rest in Walton County on Dec. 8, 2012. Funeral services for the county's most famous resident took place at the Monroe First United Methodist Church. Following the service, Cooper was interred at the New Hope First United Methodist Church.

Cooper moved to Walton County in 1917 where she remained for 95 years until her death on Dec. 4, 2012.

According to her obituary, she was born Besse Berry Brown in Sullivan County, Tenn. on Aug. 26, 1896. She was the third of eight children. After moving to Georgia in 1917 to teach, she met and married Luther Cooper. The couple were married for 39 years before she was widowed. Cooper is survived by daughters and son-in-law Angie Tharp and Nancy and Louis Morgan; sons and daughters-in-law, L.H. and Betty Cooper, Sidney and Edith Cooper; 12 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and 1 great, great grandchild.

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Cooper's family were active participants in the farewell service for the matriach of the family. Her grandson, Darryl Cooper, played the prelude to services and and an instrumental version of "Whispering Hope." Her great granddaughters, Brittany Bavis, Katelyn Walker, Hannah Fischer, Maggie Fischer, Genny Fischer and Sarah Fischer provided a rendition of "In the Garden" and her great niece, Gloria Seymour, sang "His Eye is On the Sparrow."

A community effort helped in getting a bridge in Between named for Cooper this summer. Although she was not able to attend the ceremony herself, four of her children attended and Cooper was told of the honor. 

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You may also want to read:

  • Honoring a Legend
  • Bridge Named in Honor of World's Oldest Woman
  • Sweet 116ths Birthday Celebration
  • World's Oldest Woman Dies a 116

 


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