Mrs. Annie Ruth Reed Coskrey passed away Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011, after a short illness at Rush Hospital in Meridian.
Visitation will be held Saturday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Welch Funeral Home, 201 West Lampkin St. in Starkville
Funeral services will follow immediately in the funeral home chapel at 11 a.m.
Coskrey, 84, of Starkville, was born on Nov. 28, 1926, to James Lytle and Rebecca Pearl Goolsby in Falkner. She married Homer Sneed Coskrey, Jr. on Dec. 23, 1950, and they resided in Starkville, where Homer was an assistant professor of education and ultimately Dean of Continuing Education at his retirement in 1980. Homer and Ruth enjoyed Homer’s retirement years together until Homer’s death in July 2003.
Coskrey is survived by her daughter, JoAnn Gatewood (Verner Ray) of Scott County, and one son, Wayne Coskrey (Valerie) of Starkville; four grandchildren: Cathy Cooper (Jeffery) of Forest, J. David Gatewood of Brandon, John D. Williams (Denise) of Decatur, Ala., and Teresa Nicole Williams Cummings of Brazoria, Texas.
She is also survived by one sister, Martha Lindsey of Falkner, and two brothers, Carl Reed of Howe, Texas, and Larry Reed of Gunter, Texas; and by nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends who loved her dearly.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, one great-grandson, Ryan Christopher Williams, one brother, James Lytle Reed, Jr., and three sisters: Edith Reed Estes, Lila Reed Benton and Lily May Reed.
Mrs. Coskrey will be remembered by all her friends and family as probably the fastest cook on the face of the Earth. It just seemed like she would open some cans, chop some ingredients, turn around two are three times and a great-tasting meal would be on the table.Unfortunately, to the detriment of the entire family’s waist size, Mrs. Coskreys' formidable cooking ability was at its best with very fattening desserts.
Despite Mrs. Coskrey’s own handicap of zero hearing in one ear and very little in the other, she enjoyed visiting with her “little old ladies” in the Starkville Manor nursing home and taking them out to a nice restaurant for their birthdays and special occasions. As long as her health allowed it, Coskrey enjoyed participating in services
and activities at the Calvary Baptist Church in Starkville. She is now at peace, no longer deaf or in pain, with her Lord and Savior.