Dorothea (Dot) Cooper Pettigrew, 93 years of age, passed away on November 8, 2022, at Christian Care Center in Bolivar, Tennessee. Born on November 8, 1929, in Ballard County, Kentucky, she was the daughter of the late Clarence and Lois Owsley Cooper. After graduating from Bandana High School, she attended Lambuth College. Upon graduation, she began her teaching career in Whiteville, Tennessee, where she met her future husband, Vann Pettigrew. They were married for 67 years before his death on October 31, 2021. Together, they would raise three children while attending the Bolivar Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Pettigrew continued to teach for many years at Bolivar Elementary School and Bolivar Middle School. However, her family always came first and she happily devoted her life to them. Known for the wonderful meals she prepared, she enjoyed cooking her family’s favorites. The highlight of each grand and great-grandchild’s visit was always to eat at Nanny’s, and their visits were eagerly anticipated. Other than cooking, her favorite hobbies were watching her humming birds, gardening, reading, traveling (especially on the family’s annual trip to the mountains) and watching NCAA basketball and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Survivors include her daughter, Carol Pettigrew Yates (Eddie), two sons, Mark Pettigrew (Jo Anne) of Bolivar and Greg Pettigrew (Sonya) of Jackson; three brothers, John F. Cooper, Ed Cooper (Dorothy Ann) or La Center, KY and Tommye Cooper of Lexington, KY; and one sister, Carolyn Gordon (Chalen); seven grandchildren, Carrie Yates Schlick (Jason) of Chapel Hill, TN, Jenny Yates Kolka (Seth) of Murfreesboro, Cooper Yates (Callie) of Chapel Hill, TN, Eric Pettigrew (Chelsea) of Jackson, Kyle Pettigrew of Bolivar, Josh Pettigrew (Kirby) of Nashville and Rachel Pettigrew Frazier (Matthew) of Finger, TN; 10 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by an infant son, Phillip Wayne Pettigrew; a brother, Jack Cooper and three sisters in law, Elenore Cooper, Merlene Cooper and Agnes Cooper. The family requests that memorials be sent to the donor’s favorite charity.
