Elise Veazey

Birth: May 3, 1906 Senatobia Tate County Mississippi, USA Death: May 5, 2012 Senatobia Tate County Mississippi, USA

Elise Cocke Veazey passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 5, 2012, two days after her 106th birthday, at Providence Assisted Living Center in Senatobia.

Affectionately know as "Elisie," she was born in Senatobia in 1906 to W.G. Cocke and Harriet Harton Cocke.

Her parents, husband John Garrett Veazey Sr. and brother Wrennie Gray Cocke, Jr. preceded her in death.

Elise attended high school at Gulf Park College in Gulfport, Mississippi. She studied dramatic arts at Sullins College in Bristol, Virginia, and the University of Mississippi, where she pledged Tridelta.

She moved to New York to perform and further study drama before returning home to marry her long-time sweetheart, John Garrett Veazey Sr., known as "Spec."

The couple was married 42 years. Elise and Spec loved to entertain their family and friends with dinner parties. After her husband's death, she continued those traditions with the help of her long-term cook, companion and friend, Bernice "Neesie" Stigler.

Her children, grand-children and great-grand-children fondly remember "dressing for dinner," "seating the ladies," and joining hands for prayer in her beautiful dining room.

Elise studied her Bible lesson each morning and was a devout Christian Scientist, relying on prayer and faith, in lieu of medicine. Although she was not a member, most of her Sundays were spent with her son's family at First United Methodist Church in Senatobia.

Elise loved theater all her life. While at Ole Miss, she starred in "Farewell to Arms," and traveled with a group of drama students to perform in several towns in the delta region. Her final performance was in Northwest Community College's production of "Bye Bye Birdie" in 1986. She was 80 years old.

In 2006, her children started and endowed a scholarship in her honor for theater majors at Northwest Mississippi Community College.

A third generation Tate County resident, Elise was proud that her family was integral in many of Senatobia's notable events. Her grandfather John (Jack) H. Cocke was the contractor for the historical Tate County courthouse, which was restored and completed in 2000.

Elise donated the courthouse finial in memory of her father, Mr. Wrennie Gray Cocke. Her father was an original stockholder and later president of Senatobia Bank, now known as Sycamore Bank.

Elsie served as a pink lady at the Senatobia hospital and was a volunter for the Senatobia Literacy Program, after completing the ten-hour prerequisite course. She also hosted story hour at the Senatobia Library, was a member of the Friends of Library, the Cosmopolitan Club, was a charter member of the Magnolia Garden Club, and a lifetime member of the Duplicate Bridge Club.

She is survived by her son, John Garrett Veazey, Jr. and wife, Rebecca; daughter, Wrennie Veazey West and husband, Joe; six grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be at the First United Methodist Church in Senatobia, followed by a Celebration of Life service. Wells Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Batesville, MS in charge of services.

Her family recalls one of her quotations at a past birthday, "I'm getting older but I hope I never get old. Friends and family keep me young." Also before her death, Elise told her family, "I've enjoyed beautiful flowers all my life. I want people to donate to charity instead of sending flowers to my service."

Published in The Commercial Appeal on May 8, 2012

Family links:

Parents:

 Wrennie Gray Cocke (1864 - 1943)

 Hattye Harton Cocke (1875 - 1961)

Spouse:

 John Garrett Veazey (1906 - 1970)*

• Calculated relationship

Burial: Bethesda Cemetery Senatobia Tate County Mississippi, USA

Created by: Neil Loftiss Record added: Nov 08, 2010 Find A Grave Memorial# 61321594 http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=veazey&GSbyre...