Mildred was born November 23, 1926, in Monroe, Georgia to the late Narvell H. and Orene G. Autry. She graduated from Winder Barrow High School in 1944 and was a proud member of the women’s basketball team, winning the district playoffs in 1943. After graduation, she attended Norwood Hospital Nursing School in Birmingham, AL, where she graduated in 1947 as a Registered Nurse. Mildred was married to Ray Cooper from 1946 to 1953 with their son, John “Daryl” being born in January 1951. Mildred served as a nurse at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, Winder Barrow Hospital in Winder and later served as the industrial nurse with Westinghouse Transformer Division in Athens, retiring on January 1, 1987, after 28 ½ years of service.
In 1986, Mildred married Jack Grewell and they enjoyed traveling during their retirement, which included cruises through the Panama Canal, to Alaska and many others places and a 40-day trip through many European countries. She and Jack were members of the First Christian Church, in Winder, where she was an active member of the FCC Ladies Group. Mildred moved to Columbus, GA in 2014 and became a member of Glenn Anthony Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Grewell, in 2008; her sister, Frances “Louise” Autry; brother-in-law, Roy Brookshire; and sister-in-law, Ethel Autry.
She is survived by her son, John “Daryl” Cooper and his wife, Donna; sister, Shirley Brookshire; brother, John Autry; three grandchildren, Joy Cooper Skaggs and her husband, Billy; Andy Cooper and his wife, Linda; and Van Cooper and his wife, Katy; five great-grandchildren, Myles, Georgia, Tayler, Saxon and Connor; many nieces, nephews and extended family members.
A memorial service will be held 11:30 AM, Saturday, January 25, 2025, in the Chapel of Bernstein Funeral Home, immediately followed by a catered reception at the funeral home.
Burial will follow in Barrow Memorial Gardens at 2:30 PM Saturday.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
