Mary Elizabeth (Berry) Schoggen

Mary Elizabeth (Berry) Schoggen, 85, passed peacefully in Marietta, Georgia, on Thursday, June 27, 2024. Born in Sarah, Mississippi, on December 7, 1938, she spent her younger years helping her parents, her five brothers, and her little sister as they farmed cotton. She went to high school in Crenshaw, Mississippi, and completed some college before concluding her formal education, though she would pursue continuing education classes later in her life.

On July 2, 1957, she married the love of her life, Joel Alfred Schoggen. Together, they raised four children: Cheryl Lee Conkright (David), Joel Craig Schoggen (Jennie), Melody Ann Hailstone (Paul), and Mary Mignon Coley (Scott). They have also been blessed with 15 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. 2024 would mark 67 years of marriage.

In 1986, she and Joel moved their family to Georgia, where they’ve remained since. She worked as an office assistant and then manager at the Galleria Specialty Mall. She was a consummate teacher and loved her work as an assistant in a special needs classroom. After leaving the workforce, she taught piano for many years, instilling a love of music in her children and grandchildren. She spent much of her time sewing and passing that knowledge to others.

Her parents raised her in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and she remained a faithful member throughout her life. Early in their marriage, she and Joel worked with youth, traveling throughout Tennessee and Mississippi. After Joel retired, they served a year-long mission in San Bernardino, California, and then a few years later in the Southeast area. They both worked many years in the Atlanta Georgia Temple. Additionally, she devoted years to family history, compiling information and stories going back generations.

Along with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, she is survived by her husband, Joel, and three of her siblings: Julius “Duley” Berry (Carole), Lowell Stanley Berry (Rita), and Mable Ann Murphy (Conrad).

A viewing will be held in Kennesaw, Georgia, at Winkenhofer Funeral Home on July 2, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 pm Eastern time. A viewing will be held in Senatobia, Mississippi, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on July 6, 2024, from 9:30-10:45 am Central time, with the funeral following at 11:00am. Pate-Jones Funeral Home will provide burial at the LDS Cemetery in Sarah, Mississippi.

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