Annie Lois McCurdy Coward

Visitation: 5pm-8pm Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at Ott & Lee Funeral Home Morton.

Visitation: 10am-12pm Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at Ott & Lee Funeral Home Morton.

Chapel Service: 12pm Wednesday from the Ott & Lee Chapel in Morton.

Burial: Branch Baptist Cemetery.

Arrangements were entrusted to the care of Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Morton.

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MY MAMA

by Ruth Ann Ellingburg

My mama and daddy would have been married 64 years February 14th. Together they made a loving home and 7 little raggedy children. My mama was the true essence of what a loving mother should be.  She was kind, loving, supportive, understanding, caring and wouldn't hesitate to spank your behind if necessary.  Her children were her life and she loved each and every one of us unconditionally.  I would like to share some of our favorite memories with you.

When Bo was a toddler she would tell him to stand in the kitchen window where I can see you. I need to be able to see you while I feed the cows and chickens, and he would stand there until she came back.

Jim, Mike and Roy all had the mumps at the same time.  Jim said mama you can kiss me on the forehead you won't get it.  She kissed him on the forehead and she got the mumps.  She knew she probable would, but she said that is what a good mama does.

When Mike and Jenny, after several years together, announced they were expecting a little girl, mama was beyond excited.  Her namesake, her precious Annie.

Roy was 20 months old still scootin on his behind on the floor not walking.  One day mama said Roy I bet you can't stand up and walk and he stood up and walked. Roy always said if mama hadn't tricked him into walking, he would still be hanging off her hip.

Jerry had the honor and privelege of sitting with her on Saturday evenings watching her favorite old music shows and just talking about all the good times from the past and the good times yet to come.

Bob was the caboose of our family.  He always shared special times with her, special birthday excursions, dinners and shopping trips that made her feel special and she cherished them all.

As for myself, I grew up a total tomboy. If the boys could do it, I thought I could. When I was 4 years old, I followed Roy and Jerry up into the loft of the barn.  Getting up there, no problem, trying to climb down, it looked like it was 10 stories down. my poor mama was 8 months pregnant with Bob climbed up in that loft to get me down.  She always said if she hadn't been hurting so bad, she would have tore my fannie up.

She truely loved her children's spouses.  If you married into our family, she not only accepted you , she accepted your whole family. JOANNA she felt like you saved Bo and made him happy again.  SARAH I know you learned so much from mama and she was proud of the woman you are.  JENN you brought a lot of Joy to her life and she always smiled when she talked about you.  FAYE she always had great respect for you because you made Roy so happy.  BILLY she loved you as her own and was thankful for the love and respect you have always given me.  STEVE she loved you very much and I will be forever greatful for the love and respect you have always given her.

She loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren beyond words. It always filled her heart with joy anytime any of you walked through her door.  Mama loved her nieces and nephews very much and I know she touched the lives of each and every one of you.  She touched the lives of many children in her life and fed many neighborhood children and she loved them all.  Patricia Burch Brandon, she considered you one of her own, and she loved you like a mother does. She said she never knew which extra children she would wake up to on Saturday mornings. Laura Beth, Eugene, Dalton, Marquette, Joe Lee, just to name a few.  She truely loved you all.

My mama loved to cook and bake for the holidays.  With our big family, it was nothing to have 40 or 50 people for those dinners.  She and I cooked those meals and that truely made her happy.  She felt like she had to make everyone's favorite.

She absolutely loved planting, working, picking and canning vegetables from her garden, us kids, not so much.  She missed her garden so much when she could no longer do it.

Most of all she loved the Lord and read from her bible everyday until she couldn't. There is absolutely no doubt that she is in heaven celebrating with all her family members.  Knowing my mama, she is probably trying to feed everyone in heaven. 

She is preceded in death by her parents, Robert McCurdy and Annie Noel McCurdy; husband, Neuite “Bub” Coward; children, Roy Coward and Jimmy Dale Coward and siblings, Fairy Lum, AC McCurdy, Delton McCurdy, D’Lo McCurdy, Sam McCurdy, Buck McCurdy, Clark McCurdy and Doris McCurdy.

She is survived by her loving children, Bo Coward (Joanna) of Moss Point, Michael Coward (Jenny) of Pelahatchie, Jerry Coward of Morton, Ruth Ann Ellingburg (Billy) of Morton and Bob Coward of Morton; 9 grandchildren, Glenn Coward, Joey Coward, Darwin Coward, Annie Elizabeth Coward, Jessica Hatch, Jayme Coley, Jimmie McMorris, Anna Clayton and Cruz Maxwell; 10 great grandchildren; daughter-in-love, Sarah Coward; special family friend, Steven White and a host of friends.

Visitation will be held 5pm-8pm Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Morton and 10am-12pm Wednesday at the funeral home.  Chapel service will be held 12pm Wednesday, November 15, 2023 from the Ott & Lee Chapel in Morton with burial in Branch Baptist Church Cemetery.  Bro. Bobby Reddin and Bro. Joey Griffin will officiate the services.  Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Morton is honored to serve the Coward family in their time of need.