Mary Lou Fox

Mary Lou Cooper Fox was born on October 19, 1935, in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, to the late Horace Eugene Cooper and Betsy Irene (Pruett) Cooper. Mary Lou received salvation as a teenager at Bells Campground Baptist Church in Powell, Tennessee. A graduate of Powell High School, she later married Lloyd Carl Fox in December 1955. Together, they established a loving family home in Claxton, Tennessee. From an early age, Mary Lou displayed a remarkable vocal talent and a deep love of music. She earned a place in the prestigious Tennessee All-State Choir during her youth. In her adult years, she sang alto with The Spring Hill Quartet and the Bill Moore Trio, and she was a featured artist on the album Sentimental Season (StowTown Records). Above all, Mary Lou was devoted to serving others. She assisted with children's Christmas dramas at Spring Hill Baptist Church and played a key role in developing the Vacation Bible School program at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Claxton. Although it may sound simple, her card ministry brought encouragement and hope to many.

Passionate about missions, she sponsored a Native American child in Arizona through to his adulthood, instilling in her own children and others the profound importance of missionary work. Her greatest mission, however, was her heartfelt service in the dietary department at Shannondale Nursing Facility and Assisted Living, where she brought double portions of kindness, care, and goodness to hundreds of residents. In her spare time, she also cooked Wednesday evening meals for families at Grace Baptist Church in Karns. In her later years, she became affectionately known as "Miss Mary" to friends and family alike. She was renowned for her radiant smile and her frequent, heartfelt declaration: "The Lord has been really good to me."

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Lloyd Carl Fox; her son, Lowell Fox; her niece, Susan Appleing; and her brother, Jerry Cooper.

She is survived by her daughters, Shelby Fox Haun and Karen Vaulton, both of Claxton, Tennessee; a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and her first great-great-grandchild, expected in September. She is also survived by her brothers, Connie, Kenneth, and James Cooper, as well as special nieces Pat Foreman and Tina Carroll, to whom she served as an honorary mother.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to dear friends Doug Hatmaker and Larry and Ginny Wise, and to the compassionate staff at Ben Atchley State Veterans' Home in Knoxville, for their loving care and support during Miss Mary's final days.

The family will celebrate Mary's life with a visitation of family and friends on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Bells Campground Baptist Church in Powell, TN, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., followed by funeral services at 2:00 p.m. Interment will follow immediately at Bells Campground Cemetery.

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