Life History

Other facts

Notes

• Pete's full name was provided by another researcher tryig to find details for a friend who was Pete's daughter.
  
  "I am doing research on one of my friend's ancestors.  Her birth father was Peter Virgil "Pete" Cooksey.  My friend was not raised by her father and she doesn't remember much about him. ... I think Pete married four times."
  --  Donna Hunter, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 20 October 2016
  
  Donna had been in touch with some members of the famliy on both sides.
  
  "Here's what I know about Pete.  He married 1st, Josephine (Jocie) Almond on 18 Aug 1927 in Pope Co., AR.  Pete and Jocie had a child named Alfred Lee Cooksey in 1930/1.  Jocie was my friend's mother. Jocie died of TB [see report below from Jocie's granddaughter that she died in childbirth] about 6 months [years] (1937) after my friend was born.  Pete then married Bertha Haralson on 23 Sep 1939.  She evidently died in childbirth and the baby also died.  Then came Jewel [Merryman] and finally Pete married Ariva Ritter McCoy King.  I found a picture of Ariva on Ancestry. Pete is evidently buried next to his mother in Le Flore but I didn't find him on FAG.  His mother, Rosie Lee Shockley Cooksey, is on FAG"
  --  Donna Hunter, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 23 October 2016
  
  In their marriage record, Jocie's name was Jocie Reed.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Virgel Cooksey
  Age 23, Birth Year abt 1904
  Residence Atkins, Pope, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Jocie Reed
  Spouse's Age 21
  Spouse's Residence Atkins, Pope, Arkansas
  Marriage 18 Aug 1927 Pope County
  Marriage License Date 18 Aug 1927
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Pete Cooksey
  Age 27, Birth Year abt 1912
  Residence Atkins, Pope, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Bertha Malliks
  Spouse's Age 33
  Spouse's Residence Atkins, Pope, Arkansas
  Marriage 23 Sep 1939 Pope County
  Marriage License Date 23 Sep 1939
  
  In the 1940 census, Pete's wife is reported as Bertha and her two Malick children from her first marriage are reported as stepchildren of Pete.  Pete's two children with his first wife Josephine Almond are in the home.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Pope County, Arkansas, 18 April, Burnett Township, District 58-3, Page 3A-3B, Hse #49, Rents $3
  Cooksey, Pete Head M W 37 Married Grade 4 b Arkansas Rural Pope Co in 1935 Road Laborer, WPA [b abt 1903]
  - page 3B -
  Cooksey, Bertha Wife F W 33 Married Grade 7 b Arkansas Rural Pope Co in 1935 [b abt 1907]
  Malick, Loren Stepson M W 14 Single Grade 4 b Arkansas Rural Pope Co in 1935 [b abt 1926]
  Malick, Alyene Dau F W 9 Single Grade 4 b Arkansas Rural Pope Co in 1935 [b abt 1931]
  Cooksey, Alfred Lee Son M W 7 Single Grade 1 b Arkansas Rural Pope Co in 1935 [b abt 1933]
  Cooksey, Bobbie Dau F W 3 Single Grade 0 b Arkansas Rural Pope Co in 1935 [b abt 1937]
  
  "My name is Teri Garcia, the daughter of Bobbie Jean Cooksey, whose parents are Josephine Almond and Peter Virgil Cooksey.  My mother was born 1/27/1937.  Josephine died giving birth to my mother."
  --  Teri Garcia, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 13 February 2018
  
  After Bertha's death, Pete married divorcé Jewel Merryman Loomis.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Jewel Loomis
  Age 42, Birth Year abt 1906
  Residence Le Flore, Le Flore, Oklahoma
  Spouse's Name Pete Cooksey
  Spouse's Age 44
  Spouse's Residence Le Flore, Le Flore, Oklahoma
  Marriage 14 Aug 1948 Crawford County
  Marriage License Date 14 Aug 1948
  
  "I have been in touch with the daughter of Pete's mother's sister.  She has a copy of his funeral card which says he has 4 daughters, 9 sons, 3 sisters, 28 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.  Too bad it doesn't name them.  I assume that some of those mentioned at step-children.  I think Jewel may have been married 3 times.  In 1926 she married a Dodson Franklin Pruitt or Prewett and had a son Alvin Lee in 1927."
  --  Donna Hunter, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 22 October 2016
  
  Pete died in Poteau, where he and Jewl Merryman Loomis had lived from the time they married in 1948.  She died in 1965, and he lived until 1976.
  
  U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
  Pete Cooksey
  Born 3 Jul 1904
  Died Apr 1976
  Last Residence Poteau, Le Flore, Oklahoma 74953
  SSN 431-38-1178 issued Arkansas (Before 1951)

Sources

• 1. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 2. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
• 3. 1940 Federal Census, Pope County, Arkansas
  • 18 April, Burnett Township, District 58-3, Page 3A-3B, Hse #49, Rents $3
• 4. Ancestry Messaging
• 5. Ancestry Trees
• 6. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 7. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
• 8. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010
• 9. Minnesota, Marriage Index, 1958-2001
• 10. Minnesota, Divorce Index, 1970-1995
• 11. Tulare County, California, Sheriff's Office and Jail Records, 1874-1963