Tressie "Stormy" Fortune

Tressie (Stormy) Fortune was born September 17, 1923 in the Woodville Community of Chester County, TN the daughter of the late James R. and Rosie Arlie Hodge Cox.


She was united in marriage to Austin Kennie Fortune on February 7, 1944. Mr. Fortune preceded her in death on December 18, 2007. Their 63 years of marriage was a true love story. Mr. Fortune was sent to defend his country during World War II and served in Europe for eighteen months. Mrs. Fortune received in the mail a purple heart, for three weeks she didn't know whether her love was wounded or killed. By the time she found out he was alive, he was already back in combat. Their legacy to their family is one of love, dedication, admiration, and respect for each other.

Mrs. Fortune worked and accomplished many things: earned her nickname "Stormy" playing basketball during high school, was a B17 Riveter during WWII and worked at Oak Ridge during the war, earned her college degree in education at the age of 59, worked at Sears for 13 years, and traveled with her husband around the world with the military and in their retirement years. She was a member of the Longview Baptist Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi.

In the words of her grandchildren, "She was a loving, strong and kindhearted wife, mother and MeeMee. If it had not been for these two loving, caring, giving, selfless angels adopting two little orphaned boys so long ago, none of us would be here to have the blessed lives that we do today." She was the MeeMee who would sit up with you and talk all night, always ready for an adventure, and had a young-free spirit. She never met a person that she didn't love.

Mrs. Fortune departed this life on August 15, 2013 in Cordova, Tennessee at the age of 89 Years, 10 Months, 29 Days. She is survived by a son, Buddy Kennie Fortune and wife Linda of Olive Branch, MS; three grandchildren, Trevor James Fortune and wife Amy, Shane Fortune, Natalie Fortune; great grandson, Arthur James Fortune; a sister, Patricia Cox Whitman of Selmer, TN; two brothers, Claudie Cox of Selmer, TN, Chester Cox of Bethel Springs, TN; many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband and parents, Mrs. Fortune was preceded in death by a son, James Austin Fortune; a grandson, Stephen Wayne Fortune; a sisters, Marilyn Patterson and Susanna Cox Greer; three brothers, James Jerald Cox, Robert Shelby Cox, Erwin Moisen Cox.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, PO Box 1000 Dept 142, Memphis, TN 38101