Lillian Delanel Coward Arnold

Lillian Delanel Coward Arnold, age 88, went to spend eternity with her Heavenly Father on Thursday, December 20, 2012, immediately following surgery to repair a broken leg. She was born in Colia, MS to Onnie and Artie Carpenter. She has been a resident of Ocean Springs for 50 years and Pascagoula prior to that. She was an active member of First Baptist Church Ocean Springs and the SRHS Hospital Auxilary. She and her husband, James Coward owned and brought to Ocean Springs the Ready-mix Concrete Co. in 1962. Following her husbands death, she sold the concrete company to the Blossman Co., where she became employed and continued to work for more than 30 years. She was preceded in death by husbands James Coward and Tom Arnold; siblings, Nell Carpenter, Evelyn Hunt and Milburn Carpenter. Survivors include two sons, David (Sharon) Coward of Ocean Springs and Don (Shelia) Coward of Hattiesburg; grandchildren, James (Jeanie) Coward, Jonathan Coward, Tiffany Coward all of Hattiesburg, Richmond (Megan) Coward of Houston, TX and Jenifer (Matt)Newport of Sugar Land, TX.; great-grandchildren Daniel Coward, Eli Coward, Hayden Danner of Hattiesburg; Presley Newport of Sugar Land, TX and June Wilson of Houston, Tx. Other survivors include one brother, Dewayne (Gail) Carpenter of Winona and one sister, Onnielee (Bill) of Memphis, TN. Visitation will be on Sunday, December 23, 2012, from 1:30 pm until 2:30 pm, with a 2:30 pm church service, all at the First Baptist Church in Ocean Springs. Burial will follow in Crestlawn Memorial Park. The Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home is in charge of arangements.