Mary Bell Cooksley

Mary Bell Cooksley, age 91, of Weissert, Nebraska, died at her home October 20, 2011. Funeral services will be Wednesday October 26, 2011 at 2 P.M. at the United Methodist Church in Broken Bow with Pastor Todd Karges officiating. Visitation will be Tuesday, October 25, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Govier Brothers Mortuary with family greeting friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Burial will be at Lone Tree Cemetery at Weissert, NE. Mary Bell was born September 12, 1920 on French Table near Weissert to Frank Joseph and Hetty Bell Haumont. She attended elementary school(1-8) at Elton School; Rose Valley School for grades 9 & 10: and graduated from Broken Bow Public Schools in 1937. She was valedictorian of her class. She then attended the University of Nebraska graduating in 1942 with a Bachelor of Science degree. After her education she taught Home Economics at Page, NE. On December 25, 1942, she was married to U S Army Lt. Leo C. Cooksley. Following his nine years of military service, they moved in 1949 to their farm near Weissert where they raised their family. Mary Bell was active in D A R, Broken Bow Elks Lodge 1688, Weissert Church of God, American Shorthorn Association, Nebraska Association of Fair Managers, Custer County Agricultural Society, Nebraska Grange, Nebraska Thoroughbred Breeders Association, Nebraska Admirals Association as well as many other ganizations. She is survived by her 6 children: Mary Lea Wallace (Charles) of Norman, OK; Kenton C. Cooksley (special friend, Faye Coakley) of Sierra Vista, AZ; Kevin T. Cooksley (Shannon) of Weissert, NE; Crystal Bell Schweiger (Robert) of Idaho Falls, ID; Kerry A. Cooksley (Terry) of Alda, NE; Kourtney G.(Jimel) Cooksley of Chadron, NE. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sister, Betty; and grandson, Cameron Wallace