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Sue Riley Cockrell, age 84 of Monticello, passed away Thursday, July 14, 2016 at her home. She was born December 23, 1931 in the Promise Land Community in Ashley County to the late Radford Riley and Edna Belle Higginbotham Riley.
She was the widow of her husband of 62 years, Olen Cockrell, co-owner of Cockrell’s Shoes and The Shoeshed, was a secretary for Attorney Adrian Williamson for a decade and was a member of Pauline Missionary Baptist Church. Sue was an honor graduate of Hamburg High School, Class of 1949 and served as President. In addition to playing on its winning basketball team, she was also a cheerleader, homecoming Queen and recipient of the State DAR Good Citizen Award. She furthered her education for one year at King’s Daughters Nursing School in Greenville, MS, where she met Olen. Upon being married on June 15, 1950, she moved to Monticello. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by one daughter, Suzanne Hamblen, who went to be with her Lord in 2013, four sisters and their husbands, Louise (Guy) Wallace, Virginia (Floyd) Scott, Alice (Donald) Collins and Muriel and her husbands (James “Duke”) Duke and Earl Benson.
Survivors include two daughters, Jane Jo Summerford and husband Wayne of Greenbrier and Sarah Martin and husband John of Monticello; son-in law, David Hamblen of Russellville; four grandsons, Nathan Hamblen of Bella Vista, AR and Dr. Josh Hamblen and wife Jessica of Hixson, TN, Tyler Martin of Monticello and Casey Bone of Little Rock; two granddaughters, Lauren Stutts and husband Daniel of Spokane, WA and Lana Martin of Monroe, LA; five great-grandchildren, Gracen and Madden Stutts of Spokane, WA and David, Lily and Ella Hamblen of Hixson, TN.
She was the widow of her husband of 62 years, Olen Cockrell, co-owner of Cockrell’s Shoes and The Shoeshed, was a secretary for Attorney Adrian Williamson for a decade and was a member of Pauline Missionary Baptist Church. Sue was an honor graduate of Hamburg High School, Class of 1949 and served as President. In addition to playing on its winning basketball team, she was also a cheerleader, homecoming Queen and recipient of the State DAR Good Citizen Award. She furthered her education for one year at King’s Daughters Nursing School in Greenville, MS, where she met Olen. Upon being married on June 15, 1950, she moved to Monticello. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by one daughter, Suzanne Hamblen, who went to be with her Lord in 2013, four sisters and their husbands, Louise (Guy) Wallace, Virginia (Floyd) Scott, Alice (Donald) Collins and Muriel and her husbands (James “Duke”) Duke and Earl Benson.
Survivors include two daughters, Jane Jo Summerford and husband Wayne of Greenbrier and Sarah Martin and husband John of Monticello; son-in law, David Hamblen of Russellville; four grandsons, Nathan Hamblen of Bella Vista, AR and Dr. Josh Hamblen and wife Jessica of Hixson, TN, Tyler Martin of Monticello and Casey Bone of Little Rock; two granddaughters, Lauren Stutts and husband Daniel of Spokane, WA and Lana Martin of Monroe, LA; five great-grandchildren, Gracen and Madden Stutts of Spokane, WA and David, Lily and Ella Hamblen of Hixson, TN.