Tina (Nina) Colista Satterwhite Cockerell

Tina (Nina) Colista Satterwhite Cockerell blessed the people in her life from her birth on April 03, 1923, in White Oak, Texas, through her passing in Longview, Texas on Monday, February 20, 2017.

The ninth of the ten children of Ada and Marcus Clinton Satterwhite, she was graduated from White Oak High School, where she acted in various plays, and BMI business school in Longview. She also attended classes at Texas State Teachers College in Denton (now The University of North Texas), where she most enjoyed her classes in literature.

Her joy in this life was her family, especially her beloved Garth, whom she married in 1943. As much as Nina loved her family, though, her great love for Jesus could be seen in all her actions, and she joined the First Baptist Church shortly after she and Garth moved to Gladewater in 1952. She spent many years in faithful service to her church, and her Christian influence continued throughout her years there. She served as treasurer of the WMU for several years, while an active member of the Benevolence Committee, and treasurer of various Sunday School classes. She enjoyed singing in the adult choir, as well as the Sterling Silver Saints. The LLL Sunday School class was the last one to which she belonged, and she loved its members as sisters.

Outside the church, Mrs. Cockerell’s activities were many and varied, from participating in a bowling league and water aerobics classes to being a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, and the Music Club, whose meetings she often hosted in her home. She was proud to be a volunteer for the Gladewater Hospital Auxiliary as well, where she was often designated Volunteer of the Month. In addition, for many years Nina thoroughly enjoyed being a world traveler, visiting almost every country in the world.

As a mother, Nina supported her five children in GAs, RAs, Sunday School classes, and choirs at the church, was a den mother for Blue Birds and Cub Scouts, was an active Home Room Mother for many years, and sat through so many recitals, presentations, plays, sporting events, and practices for them all, that there is no way to count their number.

Always a quiet person, Nina nonetheless made a huge impact. Her children remember well that no matter how much or how little her own family had, “Mama always cooked food and took it to families who had lost family members.” She also wrote heartfelt messages to people whom she thought needed comfort, and often picked daffodils from her yard and took them to people who could no longer leave their homes, or who simply needed to know that someone cared.
She truly exemplified Peter 3: 3-4 NIV, as she was “. . . an unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit . . . of great worth in God’s sight.”

Very few people are the same at home as they are in public, but Nina was one of those. Her children knew without a doubt what she believed and how she would advise them on every occasion. They also knew that no matter what life sent her way, they would never hear her complain, true to the message of one of her favorite Helen Steiner Rice poems:

. . . never complain about your cross,
For your cross has been blessed;
God made it just for you to wear
And remember . . . God knows best.







Mrs. Cockerell was content to work in the background, never needing the spotlight. One example of such is that after Garth’s death in 1988, Nina set up a scholarship in his name for students of Gladewater High School who wanted to go on to higher education. True to her nature, she did not include her own name in the awards.

There is no better blessing on earth than a family that loves one another, believes in one another, and believes in Jesus because of parents who taught them through example and consistency what is most important in life. To our great fortune, as we Cockerells of Gladewater go through our lives, we will add to our family, generations who never knew our mother, but even those, along with us, will live fuller, more worthwhile lives because of the influence of the life lived by Tina (Nina) Colista Satterwhite Cockerell.

Nina is survived by her five children: Sylvia Newman, of Shreveport, LA (Mike); Gloria Cockerell, of Plano, TX; Garth Cockerell, of Gladewater (Gayle); Phillip Cockerell, of Bossier City, LA (Vicki); and Les Cockerell, of Grand Prairie, TX (Janis).
She is also survived by ten grandchildren who miss her dearly: Angela Newman of Shreveport and Katie Newman Conrad (Bernie) of Bossier City; Cinnamon Nemec (Chad) of Austin and Azure Reetz (Rudi) of Flower Mound; Cameron Cockerell of Gladewater; Clint Cockerell (Lauren) of Ft Worth, Casey Cockerell of Ft Worth, and Candy Cockerell; Brian Cockerell of Grand Prairie, and Ben Cockerell of Grand Prairie.
In addition, she is survived by seven great-grandchildren: Robert Newman; Colista, Chili, and Cézanne Nemec; Sophia and Ellis Reetz; and Belle Cockerell.

The service to celebrate Nina’s life will be lovingly held in the First Baptist Church of Gladewater, Texas on Thursday, February 23, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. with burial to follow at Gladewater Memorial Cemetery.

All are welcome to join the family for a time of visitation before the service, beginning at 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church of Gladewater.

In lieu of flowers, a Memorial has been established with; First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1444, Gladewater, Texas 75647