Marcella "Marcy" Juanita Cockroft

Marcella Juanita Cockroft, a Centenarian of Groesbeck, passed away Monday, July 18, 2011, at the Windsor Healthcare Residence, after passing her one hundred first birthday this past March. Visitation will be Thursday, July 21, 2011, from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. at the Groesbeck Funeral Home. Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, July 22, 2011, at the Groesbeck Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverend Steve Nance of the First United Methodist Church of Groesbeck officiating. Burial will follow at Big Hill Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Euleon Jock Cockroft, Jay Lynn Cockroft, Jett Cockroft, Jayson Cockroft, Jonathan Cockroft, and Ted Delgado. Marcella, known as "Marcy" was born March 1, 1910, to Reese Irving Deal and Stella Mae (Leach) Deal in the Big Hill community, the only girl in a family with five boys. She grew up and attended school at Mart until moving to Houston, where she graduated in 1928 from Milby High School. Marcella moved back to Groesbeck in the eighties, after having lived in Houston all her life, and retiring from working as night auditor at the Shamrock Hilton and Marriott Hotels. She already knew people in Groesbeck, and since she never met a stranger, and had a wonderful gift for conversation, she was soon involved in many activities, such as the Ladies Auxillary of the American Legion and the Garden Club. She was a member of the First United Methodist Church. Her son and family also soon moved to Groesbeck when he was employed by the electric company . She had resided at the Windsor Healthcare Residence for the past two and one-half years, where she was especially honored for her 99th, 100th, and 101st. birthdays by family and friends. Mrs. Cockroft was preceeded in death by her parents, an infant sister, Harriett Elizabeth Deal; her 5 brothers, "Bo" Alden Elwood Deal, "Leach" Archibald Irving Deal, “Duce” Wilford Waddell Deal, "Pat" Patrick Odell Deal, and “Jimmy” Glenwell Nall Deal; by her first and second husbands, A. B. Cockroft, Sr. and Richard “Dick” Coppinger; and her daughter-in-law, Kathleen Cockroft. She is survived by her son, Avner Barbee “A.B.” Cockroft of Mart; seven grandchildren and their spouses: Craig and Kelli Peevey of St. Thomas, U.S. V.I., Kim Davenport of Alvin, Jett and Jamie Cockroft of Mart,Barbee and Eric Jeanson of Sugar Land, Euleon Jock and Cindy Cockroft of Grapevine, Jay Lynn and Jo Ellen Cockroft of Pipe Creek, Mary Kay and Ted Delgado of Plano; nine great grandchildren and spouses: Austin “Kitt” Christopher and Susie Peevey, Ajaleina Rose Peevey, Kaysie and Paul Braak, Bodie Wayne Ostrander, Jeremy and Autumn Eyetoo Cockroft, Jayson and Vanessa Cockroft, Jonathan and Kristy Cockroft, Sarah Jane and Joseph Olah, and Brian Freitag; three great-great grandchildren: Samantha Jayne Olah, Jaylynn Peevey, and Sophia Ann Cockroft; niece, Wanda Lesser of Conroe, and many other nieces, nephews, extended family, and many friends.