Shirley “Ann” Cooper

Shirley “Ann” Cooper, 85, of Blytheville went home to be with her Lord and Savior Wednesday, May 12, 2021. As her niece Christie held her, she peacefully took her final earthly breath as she entered the presence of her Lord.

Ann was born at home in Armorel to the late William “Ott” Sanders and Dessie Lott Sanders. She lived her life for her family. She was an Armorel alumni and an avid basketball player. She loved watching her nephews and nieces play sports for her alma mater, and yelling at the coaches and officials with her hands on her hips. Ann loved to watch and cheer on the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team. She was a wonderful daughter, wife, stepmother, grandmother and aunt.

She loved the Lord and was a member of Pathway Church of God. She married Raymond Leroy Cooper on Nov. 3, 1957, and was married to one man for 42 years. Ann was a caregiver to her mother and husband until they entered heaven. She worked for Walmart for several years until she retired in 2007.

Ann taught her family about the Lord, how to be a caregiver, to have a servant heart and how to love unconditionally. She was an example of strength, an overcomer and shown the value of a good hard work ethic, and she passed those wonderful traits to her family. She always wanted to look her best and taught her niece Lisa Sanders about Merle Norman. Ann was everything an aunt, sister, mother, wife and grandmother should be. We were blessed to call her each.

Because of her faith, love belief for the Lord and her acceptance of salvation, she now makes heaven her home and joins her husband, Raymond Cooper; father and mother; brothers, Gene Sanders and Wayne Sanders; sister, Peggy Perkins; sister-in-law, Wanda Sanders; niece Sherrie Sanders; and nephews, Frank Perkins, Doug Perkins and Tony Kennedy.

Ann leaves her sister Kathy Sloan and brother-in-law Roger Sloan of the home for 30 years; nieces, Christie Sloan Kennedy and her son Ashton (Kaytlyn) Kennedy and her daughter Abigail Kennedy and Tiffany Sloan Tillman and her son Brayden Tillman and her daughters, McKenzie, Gracie and Kylee Tillman, all of Blytheville, Lisa Sanders of Mountain Home, Anita (George) Pannell of Mountain Home, Peggy (Gary) Jarvis of St. Louis, Mo., Dee (Steve) Smith of Poplar Bluff, Mo., and Dianne (Leon) Miller of Blytheville; nephews, Wayne (Robin) Sanders of Texas and Darrell Sanders of Mountain Home; stepdaughters, Sandra Kay (Larry) Hutson of Oklahoma, Shirley Foster of Blytheville; stepson, Raymond LeRoy, Jr. of Blytheville; grandchildren, Bonnie (John) Webb, Jeff Cooper and Angela Hendrick, all of Oklahoma; great-grandchildren, Kayla Foster, Kortney Foster, John “Kyle” Webb, Whitley Reid and JaCoby Newell; great-great grandchildren, Henley Raye Howard, John Evan Webb and Zoey Newell.; and numerous great nieces, extended aunts, uncles, cousins and a host of longtime friends.

Graveside services will be Sunday, May 16, at 2 p.m. in Elmwood Cemetery with Rev. Danny Rigney officiating. There will be no visitation. Pallbearers are Ashton Kennedy, Christie Kennedy, Brayden Tillman, Tiffany Tillman, Roger Sloan and Darrell Sanders. Cobb Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.cobbfuneralhome.com.