Another terrific family reunion in 1987, and more photos from that decade...

In this photo, David is 'looking good' with flowers behind his ears...and with our two Shelties of that time - Solo and Lady. He's sitting on the front porch at the research farm, and it must be a very warm day because he actually has a pair of shorts on, and is barefoot! Nice...

In July of 1987, the family got together at Potato Lake for another family reunion. We, of course, had a 'talent' show, and this photo shows some of the family watching the antics...left to right - Reg Eklund, Wilma, Gail, Susan's husband - Don Hood, and Al...

 In this shot, my two daughters and I are doing a 'Chicken Dance' to a recording of chickens clucking to the music of 'Baby Face.' I made our costumes using men's white t-shirts with feathers painted around the collar and lower hem, and stuffed at the bottom with newspapers. Our beaks and feet were made from orange construction paper, and we each had a feather in our hair and I think we had some yellow balloons fastened to our 'tails!' In this photo, the moderator - Jeff Brookner - was standing off to the left, Al is coming through the door, and Margaret is trying to get him to retreat back inside until the 'act' is done...

Here is a close-up of the chicken costume...very inexpensive, but funny and fun! I think we also had some yellow crepe paper streamers on our fannies, along with the balloons... Diane looks like she has the 'chicken strut' down pat!

In this photo, the 'Cooper Sisters' are performing a routine to 'Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,' a song that was very familiar to the older sisters during World War II. We are all wearing some of Jean's stash of wigs, and we have dangly earrings, and some of us are wearing bandanas on our right legs and some of us are sporting 'big' sunglasses! It was a big hit with the crowd... As you can see, we are all wearing our specially designed and ordered 1987 t-shirts! (If I remember correctly, Janey Brown did the main design for the t-shirts and the logo for the cabin.) Left to right - Carol, Merry, Margaret, Jean and Dorothy Ann. (Maybe we should have had an act in show business on stage???  Nooooo....)

In this photo, Gail and Doug are doing a Blues Brothers number. They were really quite good, and the audience got a real charge out of it. Who knew the Cooper Extended Family had so much talent???

Michael and Mary had a little baby girl to show off. Here is Wilma, Michael with little Sara, and Dorothy Ann...four generations!

In this photo, Michael looks on while Wilma, Julie and Bonnie look at photos. We had big gatherings every day and it usually included a big meal for everyone. 

In back of these two ladies stands Susan Hood holding little Austin. On the left is Wilma with her granddaughter, Bonnie Burns Picard. Bonnie died at the age of 47 in 1998. She was a victim of schizophrenia, and died of acute alcoholism, after enduring times of terrible suffering. Her mom, Merry Kelley, gave thousands of dollars in donations to help fund research to find help for people with this devastating disease. Since Bonnie's father, Fred Burns, was also a victim, the genetic link cannot be ignored. We loved Bonnie and remember her as being a normally cheerful gal, and a very nice person.

Of course, we had another pontoon ride! Here is the 'captain' - Al Brookner - with his familiar smile, and his good humor, in spite of a lot of chronic pain in his neck from high school football injuries - he was a 'star' of his McKinley High School (Cedar Rapids) football team, and lived with the results of that athletic ability the rest of his life.

 Here's a candid shot of Margaret on that pontoon ride. I remember Margaret as such a talented seamstress. She made beautiful clothes for her family members, she was great at decorating, and she was a great cook as well. Margaret had adopted the same kind of caring that our mother had...she and Al invited Merry and Bonnie to live with them after Merry's divorce and Al helped her find the job she needed to support herself and Bonnie. Margaret and Al were ready to be of help whenever they were needed! Margaret loved her family above all...she was indeed the 'mom' they all needed, and she filled that role with quite a lot of style. She always had a smile and was such a fun person to be around.

Here is Jack Brown, in one of his more 'pensive' moments. Jack also suffered from bipolar mental health issues, but in spite of that, was a very nice man who did much to help Wayne and Wilma in their later years. Jack was a very intelligent man, and struggled with his illness over the years, but his place in the Cooper family was made more enjoyable by the antics of Jean and the other Cooper girls. Somehow we made every effort to deal with the 'down' sides of our lives with some sense of humor, and we always looked for the good side of life. I attribute that ability to Wilma, who although she had much sorrow over the years, she continually made the best of every situation. That attitude fortified the rest of us...in so many ways.

Here is Jean - the family comic - Jean was always on the lookout for something fun to do and some 'prop' to assist in that search. She had a whole box of hats and other items to assist in having a good time. Jean, the glamour gal of her early years, and the comedian in her later years...we are still lucky to hear of her funny comments, even now when she's in her 90's!

Here is Dorothy Ann, with sun in her eyes. Dorothy Ann was the most serious Cooper sister...the oldest usually is...and although she was widowed when she still had two sons to raise, and although she needed to maintain a serious side for their sake, she still had a wonderful sense of humor, and was often laughing and enjoying her life.

Here's Merry - the 'model' - Merry had an infectious smile, and had so much 'style!' She was fun to be around (in spite of her difficulties in life) and was a great benefactor to many of her extended family over the years. Merry seemed to attract men who had money - after her disastrous marriage to Fred Burns, and she was generous to the rest of us. This was a woman who had gumption and good humor, and always kept her sense of grace as long as she was alive. We all have wonderful memories of the three Cooper sisters who have left us - Merry, Margaret and Dorothy Ann... Jean and I are still left to carry on. But, the loss is too great, and we have a hard time holding up our end of the bargain. But, we still try to 'smile all the while...'

And, here's the matriarch of our family...with her 1983 reunion cap. Wilma looks serious in this photo, but still shows her lovely bone structure and her kind eyes. She has 'laugh wrinkles' all over her face, and she will never be forgotten by those of us who carry her memory with us. You were a great leader and role model for all of us who were or became a member of the Cooper Family.

 On the pontoon were also some of the smaller kids. Here is our daughter on the left, and Lindsey and Jennifer Holt on the right.

Of course, we had swimming and skiing for those who could manage it. Some of us stayed at Northern Pine Resort, and I recall the night, following the 'cuzzins' night out,' I believe, when Diane, Jeff and I were on the dock at Northern Pine and the 'northern lights' were putting on such a show! Green and blue streaks dancing across the sky over Potato Lake...it was a fabulous display for a wonderful family get-together. Those times are behind us, but we will never forget. Those times are the 'glue' that make a family stick together, and ours' was a very well together family through life's many ups and downs. I often think how very lucky we all have been to have known each other so well, and to have enjoyed each and every personality over the years. We have been truly blessed, and it continues to make this extended family quite powerful in this world of ours...

So, on we go...trying our best to fulfill the lessons we have learned from these decent and kind people who have led us. I know many of us can attribute our best decisions to the continual guidance support from these leaders of our family. We remember those who are missing now, and we still love them all...

Come on back...there's still more to come!