Photo by Beth Pudas, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Barry and Renee McCool met working at Southern Pine in New Hebron, marrying a few months later. They worked Katrina together, living in her office. Her Southern Pine family helped her celebrate her 40th birthday there, complete with a wheelchair to signify she was over the hill. Renee recently retired and said she saw Barry more when they worked together than she does now.
Barry and Renee McCool, who have been married for 32 years, were celebrating number 12 just before Hurricane Katrina hit Simpson County. They have an interesting tale as they were both employed with Southern Pine – he as a lineman, she as a dispatcher.
