Annie Kathryn King Cooke, 91, of Cleveland, TN, passed away Tuesday, September 16, 2014.
Born in Martin, TN on May 30, 1923 to William Walker and Mary Lou Clement King, she was a graduate of Martin High School and the University of Tennessee Junior College.
During World War II she worked in the payroll department for the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It was there she met her future husband, James Allen Cooke, through his sister, Elizabeth, a co-worker. Jimmy and Ann were married on April 5, 1946, at First Baptist Church in Nashville. After a short time in Junction City, Georgia, they returned to Jimmy’s hometown of Cleveland.
Ann was a member of First United Methodist Church for sixty-three years, serving the church in many ways. She was chairperson of the Parsonage Committee for many years and served on the Board of Trustees. She was named Woman of the Year by the United Methodist Women and was a member of the May Dooley Circle and Monday Craft group. For many years she chaired the UMW Fall Bazaar and worked year-round creating items for the bazaar to raise funds for missions.
She was a founding member of Azalea Garden Club, winning awards for her floral arrangements and serving the club as treasurer and secretary for many years. Gardening, especially growing wildflowers, was one of her favorite pastimes, along with UT sports and the Atlanta Braves. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, always encouraging them in their educational pursuits and sporting events.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her sister, Ruby King Hughlett (Norman); brothers, Bernice King (Alice Rebecca) and Ellis King (Dolores); sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Cooke Disney (Herb) and Katherine Cooke Livingston (Richard); and brother-in-law, Ralph Bauer.
She is survived by her daughter, Mary Lou Cooke George (Robert) and her son, James Allen Cooke, Jr. (Pam) of Cleveland; grandchildren, Lauri Ann George Soong (Weily) and Sarah Elizabeth George Wessel (Keith) of Homewood, AL, Kellie Marie Cooke Freytag (Matt), James Allen Cooke III (Marissa) and Emorie Lindy Finnell of Cleveland; six great-grandchildren, Kathryn Ann Soong, William George Soong, George Christopher Wessel, James Allen Cooke IV, Benjamin James Wessel and Anna Mae Freytag; sister-in-law, Anna Mae Cooke Bauer of Palm Desert, CA; nieces, Martha Ann Hughlett Moore of Memphis, Debbie Disney Nelson of Nashville and Linda Livingston Meyers of Bonita, CA; nephews, Michael Ryan King of Nashville, Rick Thomas of Phoenix, Richard Livingston of Long Beach, CA and William Disney of Davis, CA.
The memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 20, at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dr. Terril Littrell officiating. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Gardens with Jay Cooke, Matt Freytag, Weily Soong, Kurt Schnebel, Joe Kirkpatrick and Bob George serving as pallbearers.
Her family will receive friends from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, September 20 at the church prior to the service.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, 3425 North Ocoee Street, or the charity of your choice.
Ralph Buckner Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.