E arnestine Cooper McCain HER STORY

A Virtu ou s Woman

Mrs. Earnestine Cooper McCain lived a beautiful life filled with an abundance of love, laughter, and light. Born during the Great Depression and raised in the segregated South, she faced many obstacles and with her determined spirit and made-up mind, she overcame each one with boldness and bravery.

The daughter of the late Tom Martin Cooper, Sr. and Rosa Mae Rudd Cooper, Earnestine was born on September 19, 1930, in Sardis, MS along with her twin brother Ernest, and was the baby girl of the family. She journeyed to her heavenly home on July 19, 2023, in Batesville, MS surrounded by nine of her 10 loving and devoted children.

Earnestine confessed her faith in Christ at an early age at Concord Baptist Church in Batesville, MS where her love for the Lord flourished. Being mission-minded and Christ-centered, she loved sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others.

After completing eighth grade at Concord Church School, she attended high school at Rust College in Holly Springs, MS and then attended Southern Christian Institute (SCI) in Edwards, MS. From there, she matriculated to Jackson State College where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1954. Mrs. McCain was determined to pursue her educational goals no matter what, and she wasn’t going to let biases and barriers stand in her way. The desire to learn never left her. She went on to earn a master’s degree in education from the University of Mississippi in 1981 while teaching and raising her family.

Mrs. Earnestine Cooper McCain proved herself as an outstanding educator and was a two-time Teacher of the Year recipient in the North Panola School District. She taught at Walton Chapel, Westside School, Greenhill Elementary, Sardis Elementary and Crenshaw Elementary. After 35 years in the profession, it was at Greenhill Elementary where she would retire. After retirement, she served as a substitute teacher at both the Batesville Intermediate School and at Batesville Job Corp Center. Her legacy in the classroom was inspiring and impactful, as two of her former students would later become both her principal and her superintendent. Mrs. McCain took great pride in her students just as she did in her own children. She recognized their potential, too. So much so that she made sure that she not only trained their minds, but when it was allowed back in the day, she also disciplined their behinds!

She believed in things being done well, done correctly, and done with excellence. She’d often say, “those that know better should do better.” Sixth grade mathematics was her specialty. However, she was also a wordsmith, who loved diagramming sentences as well as reading and reciting poems and poetry. She was a master at teaching beyond the textbooks and her students benefited from learning “life lessons” as well. Mrs. McCain didn’t sugarcoat things; she kept it straight and she kept it real. She was stern yet sweet; forthright yet fair; guarded yet generous; jovial yet just; tough yet tender.

While she loved teaching, she also loved her husband, the late Charles Eddie McCain, Jr. and together, they raised 10 children. Balancing professional and personal responsibilities, she did it with ease, style, compassion, love, devotion, care, integrity, grit, and grace. She will forever be remembered not only by what she did but by who and whose she was. Well known as a dedicated and exemplary teacher, she taught generations of families, which was just a portion of her gifts. A devout Christian, faithful friend, caring confidant, and community advocate are also reflections of her spirit.

While times were not always easy, she never let the bad days outweigh the good days and she never complained. Her warm smile, sharp wit, keen insight, and curious mind are her signature trademarks. She was the perfect example of the generations of strong Black women who were fiercely devoted and determined to protect and provide for everything and everyone entrusted to them.

Mrs. Earnestine Cooper McCain leaves to cherish her memory nine beautiful children; the following five are of Batesville, MS: Arnetta Morris Brown, Phyllis McCain Draper (Jerry), Cynthia McCain Bishop (Tommie), John G. McCain (Dorothy) and Eric N. McCain; Outside of Batesville, MS are the following: Cecelia McCain Harrington (the late Rev. David N. Harrington) of Neptune, NJ, Charles Felix McCain of Hampton, VA, Lt Col (Ret) Edwin D. McCain (Yolanda) of Montgomery, AL and Debbie McCain Wesley of Herndon, VA; one Sonin-Law Joe I. Willis (the late Cornelia McCain Willis) of Kingwood, TX; one beloved brother Tom Cooper, Jr. “June Bug” (Mattie) of Memphis, TN; Sisters-in-Law: Vivian “Sue” Henderson of Memphis, TN, Anna Jean Chapman (James) of Batesville, MS and Bernice McCain Clay of LaGrange, IL; Brothers-in-Law Dabney McCain (Estelle) of Lynchburg, VA, Danny McCain (Carolyn) of Lynchburg, VA, and Gaylon Lightner (the late Joyce McCain Lightner) of LaGrange, IL; 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren; a host of nieces and nephews and a very special friend, Mrs. Earlean Freeman Williams.

She was preceded in death by her devoted husband Charles Eddie McCain, Jr., her beautiful daughter Cornelia McCain Willis, her precious granddaughter Kiwah Lemier McCain, her great granddaughter Sydnee Jenae Draper, her parents Tom Martin Cooper, Sr. and Rosa Mae Rudd, her brothers Tracy Rudd and James Thomas “Buddy” Cooper, her twin brother Ernest Edward “Sonny” Cooper and sisters Hattie Mae “Dee Dee” Frazier and Ella Harrison.