Mary Susan (Knowles) Cottle

Mary Susan “Sue” Knowles Cottle left her earthly home for her home in Heaven peacefully surrounded by her family on November 10, 2025. She was born on March 7, 1934, to Marvin and Berta Mae Knowles.

Mama was raised in the Corinth Church community of Teachey and attended Rose Hill School until her graduation. Following graduation, she took a short trip to the West Coast but soon decided she wanted to return to her home roots and there she became a teletype operator for JP Stevens Company. She met Charles Cottle in 1957, and they soon married March 8, 1958 and began our family in a little home built on Walnut Street in Rose Hill. There they had three daughters, Susan, Lisa Carol, and Sharon. Marrying our Daddy gave her a son, Charles Truett Register, whom she accepted with open arms and loved him as her own. Mama was a farmer’s wife until 1974 when she became a bank teller at Waccamaw Bank and remained there until her retirement in 1993. She loved her bank co-workers and shared many happy memories with them throughout the years. Upon her retirement, she became a full-time Nana, nurturing, and taking care of those she loved the most.

Mama was a woman of strong faith. Her parents helped to root her knowledge of the Lord at Corinth Baptist Church, but her faith became grounded in a cottage prayer meeting in 1971 under the preaching of Rev David Smith. She soon joined the Rose Hill Pentecostal Free Will Baptist church where she served as secretary for many years. She loved the Lord with all her heart and gave him praise and glory through all the hard times, good times and all the in-between times of her life. It made no difference what was going on in her life, you could step up to her back door most any morning and catch her studying her Bible, singing, praising, and praying for the needs of her family and the many friends who called her for prayer. Her steadfastness to the commitment she made to serve Jesus has left a legacy for us that we and all her family and friends can rest in peace knowing she is exactly where she lived her life to be. The most used statements we have heard in her death have been those of people knowing her faith. Mama never wavered once she made her decision to live a life for Jesus!

Her love for her family and friends was very important, and she made everyone around her know that she loved them. If you ever received a little card on your birthday or a thank you note for even the smallest act of kindness shown or when she knew you needed encouragement, know that that card held words straight from her heart. We know there were many recipients of those cards because that was a ministry for her. To make others feel loved was all she wanted to show. If you ever received one of her pound cakes, you were really on her mind! Not wanting any recognition for anything she ever did, she wanted God to get all the praise for the answered prayers she would get calls about. Mama also enjoyed keeping a beautiful yard full of her favorite yellow roses and red gerbera daisies. She always took pride in making sure things looked just right and put together whether it was her home or herself.  

Mama was predeceased by our Daddy, Charles Truett Cottle, a daughter, Lisa Carol and a granddaughter, Cristy Register along with her brothers, Hilbourne and Norwood Knowles, and her sisters, infant Grace Knowles, Shirley Mozingo and Jean Perryman.

Mama leaves behind her children, Susan Moss and husband Frank, Sharon Cottle and Charles Register and wife, Linda. Grandchildren who loved her dearly, Laura Beth Jones and husband, Steven, Jason DeBose and wife, Gerri, Brittany Easterly and husband, Josh, Sydney Rivenbark and husband, Dylan, Charlie Register, and Amie Register. A host of great grandchildren Haley, Wesley, Bradley, Rachel, Dominic, Nolan, Scotland, Sarah Holland, Sebastyan, Jaxan, Coolidge, Skylar, Brenin, Mylez, and Hayden and great-great grandchildren, Noah, Valerie, and Milo, her sister, Ossie Mac Coombs and husband, Carl of Phoenix, AZ.

We thank everyone for their outpouring of love to our Mama over the years and for the love shown to us in her Homegoing. A special thank you to Shannon Casteen and Deanne Batchelor for the love shown to our Mama, whom they also loved and for the support they gave to us during this difficult time. We also thank ECU Home Health and Hospice and their support team, Susan Rivenbark, and Amanda Foy.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00am on Thursday, November 13 at Rose Hill Pentecostal Free Will Baptist Church, 114 North Walnut Street, Rose Hill with Reverend Jack Melvin and Reverend David Smith. Serving as pallbearers will be Bobby Gore, Danny Cottle, Lyn Mozingo, Philip Briggs, Buddy King, and Derry Giddings. The family are receiving friends at Mama’s home in Rose Hill.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make donations to your church or her church, Rose Hill Pentecostal Free Will Baptist, or a charity of your choice. Take a minute to send a card to let someone know what they mean to you. In a world of a million influences, live like Sue!

You may share your memories and send your condolences to the family by selecting the Tribute Wall above.

Quinn-McGowen Funeral Home of Wallace, NC is serving the Cottle family. 

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