Gladys Wimberly Cook Suggs

Gladys Lucile Wimberly Cook Suggs, age 101, passed away Sunday, August 14, 2011 at her home in Hitchcock, Texas. Gladys was one of eight children born to John Terrence and Jessie Alford Wimberly on September 23, 1909 in the Alliance Community in Jackson County. She attended Alliance Schools, graduating from Altha High School and completing a business course by mail. While still in grammar school, she met her first husband, W. Irving Cook one day when she visited her brother Early Wimberly who was the eighth grade teacher at Yon School. She and Irving had a letter writing romance which led to their marriage at the Marianna County Court House on July 30, 1930. They lived their first few years in Mobile, Alabama where their two children were born. Gladys became a Christian at an early age while still in Alliance and became a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church. She was faithful to join other Baptist Churches wherever their moves took them. She taught in the Primary Department in Sunday Schools in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texas. She was also active in the Woman's Missionary Union organizations. She enjoyed moving to different areas with her Coast Guard husband and meeting and making friends wherever they lived. She loved entertaining guests in her home and had a loving and caring heart for all those she met. She was an Avon representative while in Texas and was a District Manager for World Books after returning to Florida. A few years after Irving died, she met and married E. G. Suggs and made a home and new friends in the Carr Community in Calhoun County where she lived until he died and then she moved back to Galveston, Texas. She resided at the Edgewater Retirement Center until having to evacuate before Hurricane Ike in 2008. After Ike, she was a part of the Oceanview Transitional Care Center family. She spent her last months with her daughter and son-in-law in Hitchcock, Texas. At the time of her death she was a member of the First Baptist Church of Hitchcock, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Sarah Elizabeth Wimberly, Annie Laurie Wimberly, and Jessie Maud Wimberly Sellers; and her brothers, John Early Wimberly, William Alonzo Wimberly, Henry Franklin Wimberly, and Olin Terrance Wimberly; her husband of forty-two years and father of her children, Washington Irving Cook; her husband of twenty-six years, Emanuel Green Suggs; daughter-in-law, Edna Jo Trimble Cook; and grandson, Billy Graves Cook. Surviving are her children, Jacqueline Patricia Cook Thorn and her husband, Robert and Washington Irving Cook, Jr. and his wife, Edna Jo; stepchildren, Jimmy Suggs and wife, Pat and Pat Peddie and husband, Ed; grandchildren, Robert A. Thorn, Jr. and wife, Mary, Larry Wayne Thorn, Melody Cook Box and husband, Philip, Joy Lynn Cook Burge and husband, Billy Bob, Carol Cook Goetting, Grayson Cook and wife, Nancy, and Gay Lee Cook; step-grandchildren Patty Suggs Melvin and husband, David, Sue Suggs Leonard and husband, Mike, Carmel Peddie Knight and husband, Tom, and Bryan Peddie and wife, Suzanne. She is also survived by twelve great-grandchildren; fifteen step-great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren and two step-great-great-grandchildren. Pallbearers will be nephews and grandsons: J. T. Wimberly, W. A. Wimberly, Jr., Early Franklin Wimberly, Robert A. Thorn, Jr., Larry W. Thorn, Grayson I. Cook, Bryan Peddie, Roy Jackson, and Tom Fiveash. Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 22, 2011 at Travelers Rest Freewill Baptist Church in the Carr Community with Reverend Shawn Williams officiating. Interment will follow in Mt. Olive Cemetery near Altha. The family will receive friends 5:00-8:00, Sunday, August 21 at Adams Funeral Home in Blountstown. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to First Baptist Church of Hitchcock, 6601 FM 2004 Road, Hitchcock, TX 77563-3040 or Hospice Care Team, 1708 N. Amburn Road., Suite C, Texas City, Texas 77591-2489. Adams Funeral Home in Blountstown is in charge of the arrangements.