Cooper Andrews

Louis Cooper Andrews, age 88, of Long Beach, went home to be with the Lord on July 17, 2013.
Cooper was born in Sharkey Co., MS to William A. ""Buck"" Andrews and Mamie Turner Andrews. The young Cooper attended grade school in Sulphur Springs and graduated from Sebastopol High School in 1942. Being the son of a farmer, all of the children worked on the farm picking cotton, corn, and bailing hay. Cooper heard the call of his country and joined the Navy on July 3, 1943 and was stationed on the aircraft carrier USS Kasaan Bay (CVE-69).
After leaving the service in March 1946, Cooper returned home to Scott County. It was during this time home he accepted Christ as his Savior and was baptized in a small pond not far from the little church the family attended. Soon after Cooper moved to Jackson and attended business school. While at school, a young lady that worked at the Standard Life building caught his eye, and it wasn't long before Cooper and Grace Ivey were married December 23, 1948.
His first job after graduating was with the Russell Company as a bookkeeper, and soon moved to cashier after a year with the company. He then accepted a position with Merchants and Farmers Bank in Forest, MS. Cooper later accepted a position as an examiner with the Department of Bank Supervision and the family moved back to Jackson. After a brief stint in Brookhaven, Cooper answered the call from Leo Seal, Jr. and went to work for Hancock Bank as an auditor in 1962. He soon moved to the Long Beach branch manager and remained there until his retirement in April 1989. After the family moved to Long Beach, they found a church home at First Baptist Church. Cooper soon became the church treasurer and held this post for 30 years serving under pastors Gail Debord and David Spencer. For Cooper, his church family is just an extension of his immediate family. Over the years he has seen his family grow up in the church and have families of their own.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Grace Ivey Andrews, his parents, his siblings, Ellis Andrews, Mattie Lee McDill, Willie Andrews, Ellla Rigby, and Vera Hodges. He is survived by his children, Stanley Cooper Andrews and wife Shirley, Rita Andrews Scianna and husband Chuck, and Jeffrey Alan Andrews and wife Kay, grandchildren, Ashley Scianna, Matt Andrews, Stephanie Scianna, Lee Beth Smith, Sara Bell, and Suzi Prince, 4 great-grandchildren and one to be born in November.
Visitation will be Saturday, July 20, 2013, from 5 - 7 pm at the RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 19130 Commission Rd., Long Beach. The funeral service will be at 3 pm Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Long Beach where friends may visit from 2 - 3 pm. Interment will be at 9 am Monday in the Long Beach City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to ""His Church Rising"" c/o First Baptist Church, Long Beach.
An online guestbook may be signed at www.riemannfamily.com