Margaret Aline "Billie" Cooper

Funeral services for Margaret “Billie” Cooper, age 93, of Buffalo are set for 2 PM on Sunday, Jan. 9th at the Walters Funeral Home in Centerville, Texas. Rev. Phil Smith will officiate and burial will be in the Brushy Cemetery. Walters Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Billie was born November 25, 1928 in Olney, Texas to Margaret Coleia Lyon Giles Spence and John Lycurgas Spence, Jr. She was named Margaret Spence, but her father nicknamed her Billie and that is all she ever knew as her name until she was an older teenager.

She was raised and spent most of her life on the Murphy Survey in Leon County, Texas, which was in her mother’s family since it was pre-empted by B.T. Murphy, her great grandfather. She went to school at the new Midway School House during her early years, where she walked to school and carried what little lunch she had in a syrup bucket. She then completed eighth grade at Lone Star School in Flo but had to quit school in the ninth grade to go to work. She was around sixteen years of age when she boarded at a hospital in Palestine and worked as a nurse’s aid. This was the beginning of her nursing career.

She married Louie “Gene” Cooper June 5, 1946 after a whirlwind romance that started with a checker championship contest between the two of them. They lived briefly in Houston and Dallas, but moved home when their family was young and raised their five daughters on the old homeplace.

Billie loved outdoors. She would much rather be outside on her tractor, building fence, cutting wood for the wood heater or taking care of the animals than being in the house. She loved animals of all kinds and even though she didn’t allow inside pets she was always bringing in any animal that needed special care and keeping it in the house until it was well. She did all kinds of carpenter work as they finished the house through the years and could do just about anything. She didn’t necessarily enjoy hunting, but she was a successful hunter and provided meat for the family through the years. She field dressed and processed the meat herself and enjoyed that part. She loved to make homemade sausage and cure her own hams. She also enjoyed canning vegetables from their garden, grape juice and homemade soup. There was even the accidental grape wine made one summer by this Baptist preacher’s wife that exploded in the kitchen cabinets.

Even though she did not love inside or housework she always went all out on holidays. Cleaning, decorating and cooking for days. The long kitchen island and all the cabinets were always covered with all kinds of food including her huge bowl of banana pudding.

In her forties, she got her GED and required college classes and was accepted into Nursing School in Bryan, Texas where she graduated first in her class. She worked for many years in the medical field, focusing on emergency care and training. She was the first Emergency Medical Technician in Leon County. She went on to become a state-certified EMS instructor and examiner and organized and started the first state-certified ambulance service in the county. While holding the many classes to train the volunteers and EMTs, she put in countless volunteer hours herself to man the ambulances to get the service going. She also did the first training for Nucor Steel’s emergency medical teams as well as emergency and disaster rescue training throughout the area.

She also loved to entertain, doing Minnie Pearl for various nursing homes and local events through the years. Her “Howdee” was her trademark.

Billie had many talents but her life-long passion was writing. She wrote poems, songs and short stories throughout her life and penned her last poem, “Falling Leaves”, at age ninety. One of her proudest accomplishments was getting her poem book published and being able to see her words in print. Her deep faith was evident throughout her writings as there was almost always an undercurrent of acknowledgement of God’s existence, her appreciation of his creation and her faith in his plan for us.

Billie left this earth peacefully on January 4th, 2022, to join her heavenly father and her family waiting for her.

Billie was preceded in death by her husband, Louie Gene Cooper, her daughter, Linda West, grandson, Joshua Moore, her parents, one brother and infant sister, one half sister and 9 half sisters and brothers on her father’s side.

Her surviving family includes daughters, Glenda Ward (Randall) of Palestine, Rose Pate (Mike), of Centerville, Deborah Moore (Tom), of Dew and Rhonda Cooper of Buffalo. She is also survied by thirteen grandchildren, Jeremy West, Jason West, Chris Ward, Angela Poll (Tony), Ashley Faucett (Josh), Shane Pate (Lauren), Brandon Pate (Lettie), Jonathan Moore, Jana Hileman (Daren), Joani Zorn (Chris), Logan Bell (Marisol), Eric Bell (Sarah) and Heather Bell-Moss (Kyle), as well as 28 great-grandchildren, Shelby, Austin, James, Hailey, Harper, Anderson, Ava, Brylie, Hattie, Stolz, Dustin, Kaylee, Hayden, Casen, Cade, Kaydie, Clay, Baleigh, Dalton, Cash, Mason, Tyler, Brayden, Shianne, Scout, Berit, Tegin, and Liam Gene and also one great-great grandchild, Bella. She also leaves many nieces, nephews, friends and her special dog, Sugar.

Serving as pallbearers are Jeremy West, Chris Ward, Jason West, Shane Pate, Brandon Pate, Jonathan Moore, Logan Bell and Eric Bell. Honorary pallbearers are Mike Pate, Randall Ward, Tom Moore, Barry Huddleston, Bennie Huddleston, David Ferguson and Mike Glick.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Flo Community Center, Alzheimer's association or charity of your choice.