Mary Alice Daniel Coultas

Mary Alice Daniel Coultas, 91, of Poplarville, MS (formerly of Robinson) passed away on Thursday, Nov 26, 2015 in Hattiesburg, MS with her family at her side. A memorial service was held Nov. 30 at the Faith Memorial Baptist Church in Poplarville. Interment will be held Saturday Dec 12 at Robinson New Cemetery at a private family service. It will be followed by a luncheon in Mary’s honor for family and friends to share memories and sympathies at 2:00 pm at the Robinson Free Methodist Church. Mary Coultas was born on March 18, 1924 in Jacksonville, IL. to Roy Daniel and Edith McPherson Daniel. On December 12, 1946 she married Gilbert E. Coultas and together they raised a family of two sons and four daughters. She was preceded in death by her parents; son Gilbert Dean Coultas, daughter Joy Allene Coultas Ducommon; son-in-law Kenneth Bilbo; and her siblings: Warren Daniel, Ella Rose Bradney; and Robert Daniel. She is survived by three daughters Linda Coultas Sweezer (Darrell Sweezer); Rita Coultas Bilbo; Judith Coultas Nifong (Ronnie Nifong); one son Robert Coultas (Lori Maxwell Coultas); daughter-in-law Ruth Dollahan Coultas, son-in-law David Ducommon; and 12 grandchildren; Denise Coultas Wargin (Mikael Wargin); Christina Coultas (Michael Eskew); Jennifer Ducommon Dungan (Mack Dungan); Rodney Ducommon (Susan Kesling Ducommon); Daniel Bilbo (Kecia Sones); Matthew Bilbo (Ashley Dobbs Bilbo); Michelle Hodson Knupp (Dan Knupp); Melanie Hodson Pelle (Fidel Pelle); Christopher Coultas (Melissa Matson Coultas); Timothy Coultas (Nicole Smith Coultas); Amanda Coultas Emmerling (Brian Emmerling), Bobby Thompson and 28 great grandchildren. Mary’s life, spanning 10 decades, entails a story of love, courage, tragedy, victories, setbacks, but most of all, her faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Mary was born into a sharecropper’s family in west central Illinois where her parents and three siblings would work countless hours in the fields, in all kinds of weather to earn a meager but proud living for the family. In Mary’s childhood years the entire country was struggling from the Great Depression, especially hard hit were the rural communities, where families like Mary’s faced many hardships just to survive. Mary shared the story that during many hot summer nights in the 1930s, they would move the families’ beds outside to literally sleep under the stars to find relief from the relentless heat. Her father Roy, a self-taught reader, led the family through that decade with hard work, pray and an unwavering faith in God. In the 1940’s Mary found love and war. Her brothers and future husband served in the military in the south pacific theater and Mary worked in a Detroit defense plant in support of the WWII effort. All three a part of America’s greatest generation. In 1946, Mary married Gilbert E. Coultas and they started a family of their own. Mary was an amazing woman, she contributed immensely to the post-war baby boom by having six babies in seven years and this was before disposable diapers and automatic washers and dryers. After her children were all in school, Mary’s work continued not only as a mother raising six children, but this time as a pastor’s wife, while simultaneously working outside the home. Over the years, she sewed suits, gloves, stitched shoes, bound books, inventoried and maintained medical supplies in various health care facilities and as a caregiver for the elderly. In retirement, Mary was a steadfast member of the Faith Memorial Baptist Church, Poplarville MS, where she mentored many with her sage advice on spirituality, biblical principles, growing in faith, and powerful prayer. Mary was our best friend, advisor and confidante. Her greatest quality was to encourage us to make the best of everything and to face problems head on. She was a proud woman who believed that there was no obstacle that couldn’t be overcome. She was like millions of other mothers who have prayed for her children. Then in her later years for her grandchildren, and great grands. She was a prayer warrior with unwavering passion and persistence. God rewards those who believe in Him and diligently seek Him. We as a family are heartbroken with her passing but rejoice that she is now with her Lord and Savior. Mary will forever live in our hearts.