It was a beautiful sunny day, on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, when Katherine Raper Smith Cooley entered into Heaven's pearly gates. No doubt she was met by her 12 loving siblings, Lankford, Lee, Fate, Jasper Lyle (J.L.), Noah, Fred, Calvin, and Junior Raper, Geneva Hatcher, Bertha Sparkman, Mary Spakes, and Callie Bumbalough. (Calvin and Callie were twins, with one weighing 7 pounds and the other 8 pounds.) Making room for hugs were also her parents, Mamie Esther Lyles Raper and Willie Jasper Raper, along with first husband, Cleatus Smith and her second husband, Beecher Cooley. Katherine never wanted to be the last remaining sibling and was quite surprised when she was indeed as she grew up with severe asthma and was the "puniest of the litter." She fashioned a quilt depicting each of her brothers and sisters and named it "The Unfinished Quilt" because she worried that if she died before her siblings that the departure date would not be embroidered on the quilt. This was just one of many quilts she made for her family members.
Education was always very important to her, and she always wanted her children to have the strictest and toughest teachers. She was especially proud of the fact that she was valedictorian of her eighth grade class when her sister made her a crepe dress to wear for the event. Her speech was over how her class went around nearby farms asking if they could spare any scrap metal such as old metal toys or old farm equipment for WWII and how each of her classmates can contribute to mankind in some form or fashion. Katherine yearned to go to high school but was not able because she did not have transportation. She was later about to further her education and was one of the top students in her class. Never was she more proud of her children than when they completed their degrees. Her famous saying was that you can never learn too much, and no one can ever take away your education; learn everything that you can.
Perhaps you were one of the lucky individuals who received one of her 30 homemade pumpkin pies she baked and gave away that were made from fresh pumpkin. Or maybe you happened to be at the Senior Citizens Center when she and Dot Cantrell would dress up like clowns and chickens and entertain the patrons. She enjoyed playing cards with her card group of ladies where they would meet at Bobby and Jonelda's to dine for the evening. If you happened to see a lot of blue and purple ribbons at the White County Fair, you may have witnessed her talent as a gifted seamstress, cook, or embroiderer. Katherine was used to hard work because all the family had to pitch in to make ends meet after her daddy passed away with a brain tumor when she was 7 years old. All her siblings would help pick cotton as their hands would be bleeding. Their mother thought raising tobacco was sinful, thus she chose cotton to help make ends meet. She said she would never forget when the boys took a load of cotton on a wagon and sold it, and Fred spent $5 of the money to buy a piano with it. She said her mother cried and cried. If fondue is your cup of tea, hopefully you were one of her lucky friends to dine with her, if not, maybe you were included in one of her apron parties. Speaking of aprons, many a lucky lady received homemade aprons which she monogrammed individually. One of her favorite times was when she went out each month with the Golden Girls to eat.
Katherine thought it was important to give back to the community as she served as a volunteer each week at the White County Hospital for 20 years. If she happened to see a small child in a store, it was not unusual for her to give him/her a dollar to buy themselves a treat. Her children always knew if they could not find her at home, then she was more than likely either at church or paying her respects at the funeral home. She never met a stranger, and if you knew her, no doubt you witnessed her keen sense of humor. It was not unusual for her to say the first thing that popped into her head, and it was usually hilarious. Never did she mean to be funny or even try, it was just her personality.
Katherine was always very thoughtful. In the three remaining burial plots where Cleatus was buried, she decided to ask Beecher if he wanted to move his first wife, Clara Belle, to one of the cemetery plots, and Beecher would be buried in-between his first and second wives and Katherine would be buried in-between her first and second husbands.
The good Lord called Katherine home at the age of 94 years old. Those left to mourn her passing include her two children: her son, Wendell Cleatus (Gayle) Smith, and her daughter, Myra Jane (John) Sloan, along with four grandchildren: Jane Keith Edmonds, Charlotte (John) Marihugh, Hayley Smith Edmonds, and Bradley Wendell Smith. Her great-grandchildren are Claire Ann Marihugh and Madelyn Jean Marihugh. Also, left to cherish her memories are her step-grandchildren: Greg (Tiffanie) Sloan and Alyssa (Joey) Njezic. Her step-great-grandchildren are Ethan (Allison) Njezic, Harrison Sloan, Emmie Ruth Sloan, Brice Njezic, Maddox Njezic, Sloan Njezic, Miya Njezic, and Jade Njezic.
Her family will say their final goodbyes on Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at 2 p.m., with visitation from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., preceding the funeral.
Oak Lawn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, with the funeral taking place at their location. Pastor Liz Sparkman, her niece-in-law, and Pastor Jamie McCormack will officiate at the service.
Pallbearers will be Terry Thurman, Chuck Bumbalough, Cain Lee Rogers, Joshua Thurman, Tim Bumbalough, and Eric Thurman.
Special thanks go to her granddaughter, Jane Keith Edmonds, for spoiling Granny Kate by singing gospel hymns with her, playing beauty shop, spoiling her rotten each time she rang her bell, and giving her TLC 24/7.
Katherine was a member of Sparta First Church of the Nazarene and requested that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the church in her memory.
Oak Lawn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
