Frances Anita Brinkley Cowden

Frances Anita Tacker Brinkley Cowden was born June 20, 1939, in a converted chicken house in a cotton patch in Tyronza, Arkansas. She died Tuesday, Feburary 4, 2025 surrounded by loving family at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, TN. When she was 18, she married Guy Brinkley, moved to Fayetteville, AR, then to Piggott, Arkansas. She Graduated from Arkansas State University in 1960, taught school and edited Voices International magazine. She divorced and moved to Blythville, AR in 1970 with her four children and worked for the Commercial Appeal as a reporter where she published several articles. She taught English and Art at Blytheville East High School. Mid 1970s she moved to Memphis and taught at Humes Jr High and then at Northside High School. There she married Coy Dean Cowden. She was an active member of Colonial Park United Methodist Church since July 1990, where she taught numerous bible classes and was a member of the Grace Sunday School. Her love of God and her passion for teaching about the Bible and sharing her faith will be fondly remembered by all who knew her. She was a lifetime member of the Tennessee Poetry Society, from which she earned many honors. She owned Grandmother Earth Creations and Life Press. She did all kinds of art such as pottery, paintings, face casts, jewelry and poetry. She published several books and magazines. Her imagery reflected her love of visual and verbal expression while expressing the joy in God's creation and the symbolism in both fantasy and life. She was preceded in death by her husband Guy Brinkley, her husband Coy Dean Cowden, her mother Dorothy Marcelle Tacker and her father Cletus Tacker of Whitten, AR, her daughter-in-law Elizabeth Brinkley of Nesbit, MS and her sisters Linda Joyce Pierce of Wilson, AR and Janice Eleanore Colbert of Oceola, AR. She is survived and mourned by her sister Nancy Curtright of West Helena, AR, her brothers: Robert Tacker of Whitten, AR, and Cletus Tacker, Jr., wife Judy, of Lepanto, AR; her three sons: Guy Brinkley, Jr of Nesbit, MS, Clayton Gene Brinkley, wife Marina, of Memphis, TN, and Charles Eugene Brinkley, wife Jean, of Hernando, MS; her daughter Elizabeth Marcelle Nia, husband Saeed, of Memphis, TN; and her grandchildren and great grandchildren: Jason Catlett and his children: Grace, Lilith and Wyatt Catlett; Mathieu Catlett and his daughter Kennedy Catlett; Whitney, husband Michael Wright and their children: Taylor, Skylor, Kaylee, Kimber, Avery Kohl and Mary-Kendall Wright; Shelby, husband Taylor Cook and their son Ansel Cook; Masoud, Reza, Saeed and Shahram Zarshenas; Navid and Piyom Nia; Ryan and wife Miranda Brinkley; Erin, husband Mitchell James and their children Brinkley and Pierce James; Charlie and wife Lauren Brinkley; Joseph and wife Emi Brinkley; Madeline Brinkley; Nick and wife Alexis Bogdanovic and their daughter Remy Bogdanovic; Veljko and wife Olivia Bogdanovic and Mila Brinkley. Visitation will be Friday Feb 7 from 1 to 2 pm with burial at 2 pm at Forrest Hill East, 2440 Whitten Rd, Memphis, TN 38133. Celebration of life will be from 2 to 4 pm Saturday at Colonial Park Methodist 5330 Park Ave, Memphis TN 38119 To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of Frances Anita Brinkley Cowden, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.