Mrs. Imogene Lee Cox

Imogene Lee Peppersack Beckwith, 84, of Ranger, Georgia, passed away Friday March 14th, 2025. She went peacefully, surrounded by loving family after an extended illness.

She is survived by her two daughters, Regina Ann Jones and Terrie Rena James of Mississippi, and her son, James D. (J.D.) Beckwith of Georgia; four grandchildren: Brandy Jones (Nathan) Coppock, Brittany Jones (Lance) Ingram, Terri Kay James, and Jessica James (Seth) Borries; seven great-grandchildren, Austin Coppock, Dillon Coppock, Alliyah Ingram, Lance Ingram Jr., Brinley Cole Young, Yancye Grace Borries, & Willa James Borries. She is preceded in death by her husband, William Yancye “Bill” Beckwith, Sr., her son, William Yancye “Billy” Beckwith, Jr., and grandson, William Clay James.

Imogene was born on Valentines Day in 1941 to the Reverend John Lucian Peppersack his wife Susie Bell Gilliam Peppersack in Herod, Pope County, Illinois. She spent her youth in southern Illinois with her two older sisters, Betty Louise (Nash) and Patsy Sue (Dunning), and eventually moved with her widowed mother to live with them in California, their husbands being in the U.S. Navy. There, she met and married her husband, William Yancye “Bill” Beckwith Sr. of Duck Hill, Mississippi. She was a dedicated Naval wife and mother of a growing family for many years through deployments out of cities such as San Diego, CA, Bayonne, NJ, Norfolk, VA, and Philadelphia, PA, with a time between naval service stints that brought them to her husband’s home state and the city of Greenwood, MS, where they eventually settled permanently after Naval retirement. Together, Imogene & Bill raised four children there: Regina, Billy, Rena & J.D. Imogene worked many different jobs over her lifetime. Her more notable positions were as a Bank Teller for First Federal Savings & Loan on Park Avenue in Greenwood, then afterward, as the receptionist & secretary for Osborne & Sutphen tax firm until her retirement in 2003. She was always considered an exceptional employee, and all those who interacted with “Gene,” as most knew her, always felt that she had a kind spirit and friendly attitude. After the passing of her husband in 2000, Imogene continued to work for three years before retiring to live with her youngest son in Georgia. She became a member of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church in Redbud, Georgia. She eventually remarried to Robert L. Cox, Sr., a neighbor and loved family friend, for a short time until their amicable separation not long before his passing. She spent her latter years active & independent. She enjoyed decorating her home with cardinals and magnolias; spending time in her yard; tending to her plants including irises, roses & peonies; shopping, especially for gifts at Christmas time; going to estate & yard sales with her son; and being the loving sounding board, confidant, and gentle advice giver to all the members of her family, who was just a phone call away. Imogene was blessed to have spent very few days in her life being ill. She was an extremely strong, resilient woman. She endured radiation treatments to beat breast cancer in her mid-70s, fully recovered remarkably fast from a nearly fatal artery blockage at age 81, and maintained her energy, mobility & independence after that until her health began its sudden downturn in late 2024. Colon cancer was diagnosed and surgery performed, but the weaking of her body left her susceptible to the ravages of pneumonia from which she spent a full month in the hospital trying to recover. Even so, her life was long and her will strong, which has left a powerful impression on her family. Her patience, love and devotion to family and her genuine kindness toward others have left an enduring mark on this world. Her love and devotion to her Savior, Jesus Christ, has assured that she will have a blessed place in heaven along with each and every member of her family whom she had a direct hand in leading there. We are truly blessed to have had this wonderful woman, born on the day that celebrates love itself, as the loving heart of our family for so long. She will be missed, loved and remembered forever.

Visitation will be held at Wilson & Knight Funeral Home in Greenwood, MS on Thursday, March 20th from 5 to 7 PM CST, as well as 1 hour prior to the Funeral Services on Friday, March 21st at 11:00 AM. Burial will follow at Eskridge Cemetery near Winona, MS with a short grave-side observance. Pallbearers will be her great-grandsons Austin and Dillon Coppock; great nephews, John Allen Turner & Tommy Lewers; brother-in-law Ed Beckwith; grandson-in-laws, Lance (Brittany) Ingram, Sr., Seth (Jessica) Borries. Services will be conducted by Bro. Gary Garrison. Services will be conducted by Bro. Gary Garrison, family friend and current pastor of Bible Baptist Church where Imogene was a long-time member while living in Mississippi. Donations to help her family offset her final medical and burial expenses will be accepted.

A GiveSendGo.com memorial fund has been set up in her honor. https://www.givesendgo.com/ImogeneBeckwithMemorialFund

Thomas Funeral Home of Calhoun is in charge of local arrangements.