Mrs. JEANNETTE COOPER MARS

Jeannette Cooper Mars, 84, of Philadelphia, passed away on March 8, 2026, at Neshoba General Hospital. Born in Tela, Honduras, she came to Mississippi as a boarding student at Forrest County Agricultural High School in Brooklyn. She later graduated from LSUNO and began her career as an executive secretary for the Mississippi A & I Board in Jackson, where she met her future husband, George Mars. They married on October 12, 1969, in Jackson and together took over his parents’ business, co-owning and operating Mars Bros. Department Store on the square in Philadelphia for many years.

Mrs. Mars was deeply involved in her community and took genuine pleasure in staying connected with former employees and customers. She cherished her time at the Neshoba County Fair and the lasting friendships she formed with her fair neighbors. A longtime member of First United Methodist Church, she was also a devoted LSU fan.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George Mars, and her mother, Pastora VanTuyle. She is survived by her daughter, Grayson (Chad) Miller of Hightstown, New Jersey, and four grandchildren, Lance England, Caleb England, Owen Miller, and Rosalie Miller.