COLUMBUS —     Mrs. Bea Alawine Perkins Koostra, 95, died Sunday, June 17, 2012 at Baptist Memorial Golden Triangle, Columbus, Ms.  Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church in Macon on Wednesday at 2 p.m. Burial will be in Moscow, Ms at West Kemper Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.   The family requests no flowers, please; memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Children’s Fund, P.O. Box 540, Macon, MS 39341.Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon is in charge of arrangements. You may sign online guest book at cockrellfuneralhome.com.

    Mrs. Koostra was a native of Kemper County, MS was born on May 31, 1917 to the late Samuel Thomas Alawine and Maggie Evalina Skinner Alawine. She attended Rocky Ridge School, a one room school until the fifth grade; she attended Zion school until the 8th grade and graduated from Collinsville High School. She married S.O. Perkins at age 20 and made their home near Moscow, MS. She moved to Noxubee County to the Prairie Point area in 1947 where they farmed, paying $50 an acre for the land. She worked with the Macon School system as a bus driver and later as a dietician in the cafeteria. After Mr. Perkins passed away, she moved to the City of Macon in 1967 and became the dietician at Noxubee General Hospital where she retired in 1977. Mrs. Koostra was a member of Macon’s First Baptist Church. She enjoyed traveling, especially with her friends with whom she traveled all over the United States, Canada and Europe. She also enjoyed visiting with her family and friends and she especially enjoyed cooking. She could make the most wonderful pies and cornbread dressing. She was preceded in death by 9 sisters and 4 brothers and their spouses as well as two husbands, S.O. Perkins and Richard Koostra.  

    Mrs. Koostra is survived by her two daughters, Mary Lynn Southerland (David) of Tallahassee, Fla. and Vicki Elizabeth Dimino (Donnie) of West Point, MS; a son, William Randolph Perkins (Vickie) of Hernando, MS; 6 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, 3 step-grandchildren, 8 step-great-great grandchildren, and a number of nieces and nephews.