Martha Ann McIlwain Cooper

MARTHA ANN COOPER Myrtle - Martha Ann McIlwain Cooper, 74, died Sunday, August 31, 2014, at her residence. A Starkville native, she was born April 1, 1940, to William M. and Edna Harmon McIlwain. While growing up, she lived in the Self Creek Community near Maben and also lived in Cleveland. A graduate of Maben High School, she then went on to attend Northeast Community College. She was an International Missionary with the Southern Baptist Convention. Martha was both a military wife and pastor's wife. She and her husband served in the Marianas Islands in Guam and afterwards served at First Baptist Church in Potts Camp. They served in Oak Hill Baptist Church in Pontotoc County, Calvary Baptist Church Louisville, West Corinth Baptist Church and Temperance Hill Baptist Church in Potts Camp. They moved to Ankara, Turkey and organized the International Protestant Church of Ankara and the Baptist International Church in Ankara. She and her husband moved to Germany and ministered in the International Baptist Church of Munich. Martha was a member of Hillcrest Baptist Church in New Albany. She was an avid watercolor artist. Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday, September 4, 2014, at HillCrest Baptist Church with Rev. Whit Lewis, Rev. Bert Harper and Rev. Rob Chittom officiating. Burial will be in Temperance Hill Cemetery in Potts Camp. W. E. Pegues Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements. Survivors include her husband, Dr. Alvis Ken Cooper of Myrtle; one daughter, Melody Ann Littlejohn (Rickey) of Pontotoc; one son, Marty Ken Cooper (Lauren) of Tupelo; one sister, Reta McIlwain of Tulsa, Oklahoma; one brother, William McIlwain of Mooreville; six grandchildren, Claire Marie Littlejohn, Aaron Walker Littlejohn, Marcus Cooper, Jessi Cooper, Richard Morris and Quin Morris. Pallbearers will be Charlie Jarrett, Ganus Gadd, Kerry Hale, Sammy Hood, Marshall Robbins, Dwight Minor and Edgar Wilkinson. Visitation will be 9 to 11 a.m., Thursday at Hillcrest Baptist Church in New Albany.