Sept. 11, 1923 – Feb. 26, 2017

NATCHEZ — Services for Elmer Luther Cooley, 93, of Natchez, who died Sunday Feb. 26, 2017, at Magnolia Village, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Laird Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Steve Purvis officiating.
Burial will follow at the Greenlawn Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until service time Saturday at the funeral home.
Elmer worked a number years and retired as a crane operator at International Paper Company. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was assigned to the aircraft carrier the USS Corregidor. As a member of the Naval Reserve, he was also active during the Korean Conflict. He and his wife, Gwenda, were active members of Stanton Baptist Church. Previously, he served as a deacon of both Springfield Baptist Church and Washington Baptist Church.
Mr. Cooley was preceded in death by his parents, Luther and Massie Cooley; his first wife, Lillie Collins Cooley; his second wife, Myrtle Basco Cooley; one son, Jerry A. Cooley; one great-grandson, Brett McCall Ellis; two sisters, Lois C. Stringer and Laverne C. Grant; one stepdaughter, Leslie B. Broome; and one step-daughter-in-law, Betty B. Blackledge.
Survivors include his wife, Gwenda Huddleston Blackledge Cooley; two sons, E. Darryl Cooley and wife, Pam, of Fordland, Mo., Randall D. Cooley and wife, Margaret, of Dallas; one stepson, Samuel M. Blackledge of Hattiesburg; one daughter-in-law, Rita C. Cooley of Tioga, La.; nine grandchildren, Tara C. Ellis and husband, Jeff, of Sterlington, La., Paige C. White and husband, Hugh, of Summit, Brad A. Cooley and Amy Cooley of Tioga, Mary Alyce Kaetzel and husband, Dax, of Dallas, Rebecca Cooley of New Orleans, Lee Runnels and husband, Tracy, of Hattiesburg, Lauren Slaven and husband, Kyle, of Sulphur, La., and Carly Verrett and husband, Kevin, of Gulfport; 11 great-grandchildren; two brothers, James Cooley  and wife, Marie, of Prairieville, La., and Gene Cooley and wife, Kay, of Shreveport, La.; one sister, Mary DeLoach and husband, Lloyd, of Ball, La.; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Tracy Runnels, Jack Runnels, Hugh White, Danny Grant, Ike Mohawk and Lonnie Parker.
Honorary pallbearers will be Kenneth Stringer, Jeff Ellis, Dax Kaetzel and Mike Runnels.
A special thank you to the staff of Magnolia Village for their loving care for the past five years.
Online condolences may be sent to lairdfh.com.