[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 18235]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING COOLEY MORTUARY, INC.

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, December 5, 2013

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor as 
extraordinary Funeral Home Business in the Mississippi Delta, Cooley's 
Mortuary of Batesville, Mississippi.
  Cooley's Mortuary, Inc., opened its doors in April 1990, beginning a 
tradition of professionalism, dedication, and compassionate care to 
families in Batesville, Panola County, Mississippi, and the surrounding 
communities. After serving in the United States Army for 2 years, and 
in pursuit of a need to do something ``useful'' with his life, Jerry 
Cooley enrolled into the Commonwealth College of Mortuary Science, 
Houston, Texas, where he soon graduated and received his National Board 
Certified license in 1978. He began a career as funeral director and 
mortician at Brown Mortuary, Inc., in Laurel, Mississippi. With 
encouragement from his dear mother and a great ambition calling him 
higher, Jerry Cooley moved to Batesville, Mississippi, in August 1984 
where he worked as funeral manager and embalmer at Century Funeral 
Home.
  In April of 1990, a longtime dream of Jerry Cooley's became a reality 
when he and his wife, Norma Jean, held an open house for a ``first-
generation'' funeral home located at 327 Panola Avenue, Batesville, 
Mississippi. Cooley's Mortuary, Inc., made history in that year by 
accomplishing what not many other first-generation funeral homes had 
ever done; they received an astounding 50 calls by year's end and their 
first few months in business. Building on the strong foundation of 
compassion and service, and providing quality care to the families of 
Panola County, and surrounding communities, the business grew over the 
next several years.
  Throughout the years, Cooley's Mortuary, Inc. has employed a number 
of additional staff, all of whom have been committed to excellence and 
stellar service for their customers. They have worked closely for many 
years as a cohesive unit serving the needs of the community with 
dignity, care and compassion. The business thrived and continued to set 
a standard for funeral service in the Panola County area.
  They say ``beside every successful man stands a woman'' and without 
question this is certainly the case with Cooley's Mortuary. The 
business would not have existed without Norma Jean Cooley. Her strong 
support and countless hours of work should not go unmentioned. She has 
served as vice president and serves the business faithfully enabling it 
to respond to and serve families in their time of need.
  November 29, 2007, marked a new era and a lifelong dream fulfilled 
for Jerry and Norma Cooley with the groundbreaking of a new modern 
facility. The ``second generation'' Cooley's Mortuary, Inc., was built 
and dedicated in August 2009, making it a premier funeral home in 
Batesville, Mississippi. The 11,700-square-foot facility is constructed 
on a two-acre lot and includes four offices, a library, prayer room, 
two family viewing rooms, and a chapel with a seating capacity for 250 
people. In Cooley's own words, ``I wanted to have the very best for the 
people we serve.''
  Cooley's Mortuary is a family owned community-located funeral home 
which has earned a reputation for service, affordability and 
reliability over the years. Word-of-mouth, without question, is its 
finest endorsement. Regardless of whether or not a family comes to 
Cooley's Mortuary for the first time, or considers it to be their 
``family'' funeral home, Cooley's Mortuary takes personal interest in 
helping families during the most difficult times, and families continue 
to overwhelmingly trust them as their premier funeral home.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Cooley 
Mortuary, Inc., for its dedication to serving this great State and 
country.

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