A Lot of Trips Out West...

This photo is of Doug's oldest son, Russell. I went out to his graduation in 2007, which took place in the Phoenix area. Somewhere in my various boxes of photos, I have a picture of myself with Russell in his cap and gown, but right now, I can't locate it. So, here is the family...

As you can see on the photo, the date of Russell's graduation from high school was May 25, 2007. Left to right - Mickey, Hannah, Russell, and Sarah.

Krista was the next one to graduate, I don't have photos of that event. Not sure why...maybe they will turn up as I get more into sorting... Here is one of her senior photos. She also graduated in 2007, and I was there for that.

Here I am with my two daughters.... Alitza next to me, and Diane on the far right. I can't remember if this was at Krista's graduation, but I think it was. The ceremony was held at an outdoor football field, so we had a quilt and some seat pads along for comfort.

I tried to be present for my grandkids' important occasions, and in this case, I had flown to Phoenix for the graduation. Unfortunately, I have not kept good records about these trips, so I don't have dates to go with some of these photos. 

Many times when I was in Phoenix, it was at the time of year I could attend my granddaughter, Krista's dance recitals.  David often did not come with me, as his work at the research farm was always very busy during the spring and early summer. We were really only able to take vacations together in August, when he had a bit of a break between the planting and growing seasons, and the fall harvest. He had a big field day at least once a year, and had an annual garden field day as well, and sometimes there was also a field day in the spring. On those occasions, we often had busloads of students from area schools, as well as area farmers, and sometimes state and university dignitaries attending these events, so it was important that the farm looked really good and that all the work was caught up. 

With my first grandkids close together in age, I was out in Phoenix pretty often to attend their graduations. Now that they are nearly all grown up and out of their parents' homes, I don't get to see them very often, so the times when I do get to be together with them are special.

My trips out to visit my kids in the Phoenix area were sometimes interesting. One time, Alitza and I flew out to visit, and on the plane going out there, we sat next to a man from Japan. He spoke very good English, and we struck up a conversation. He gave a candy bar from his dinner tray to Alitza (yes, back then, dinner was provided, as were drinks and snacks...), and that smoothed the way to talking to me. He told me that he owned a big paper company in Tokyo and that he often traveled to the U.S. on business. He also told me that he and his wife enjoyed theater and drinking. (Interesting combination!) When the plane landed in Phoenix, I thought that would be the last I would see or hear about him, but I got a package after we got back to Kanawha, and it contained a beautiful Japanese hanging calendar. I assume it was produced by his company. He also sent a letter, but in reading it, it came to me that he wanted to send his kids to America, and that he was looking for a family to 'sponsor' them. Well, I just couldn't have done that at that time...had to work, and didn't really have enough room for any extra people living in our little house. So, eventually, the correspondence with him ended, and I never heard from Mr. Uda again (think that was his name, but it's been a long time...) I still have that calendar, and now it is hanging in my art room as a decoration. Life can bring all sorts of surprises!

I am planning on posting some of the photos I took on various trips out to visit Diane and her family, and Doug and his family. At that time, Diane and Jerry lived near Auwatukee and Doug and Gail lived in Scottsdale, so a visit out there made it possible to see both families.

Here is Tyler in his slightly soggy graduation cap and robe. That night while we watched the ceremonies, it began to rain. The graduates were all seated on chairs on the football field, and they got pretty wet. But, we had a good time anyway. And, in Phoenix, in May, it is usually pretty warm...

Here is Mickey, Doug's youngest son. This is his graduation photo, and his graduation took place in 2010. I was not able to attend his ceremony because that same time my sister and her husband from Dallas were going to be visiting in Iowa, and I felt I needed to be there. As it turned out, it was a good thing that I went to see them in Cedar Rapids, because that was the last time I saw either of them. My sister Margaret was on oxygen at the time, and her health continued to fail. She passed away in September of 2012, and her husband Al died in 2011. Neither of them were able to come to Iowa and visit again after that time in 2010. I don't know how I knew that I needed to not be gone while there were in Iowa, but call it a 'gut' feeling....I knew... 

I found this photo of Sarah with her graduation gown on, but I'm sure I have a better one somewhere. I'll try to post it once I locate it. I am not certain what year she graduated, but I think it might be 2011. These first five grandchildren were born very close together.

I also went out for bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, so my visits were frequent then. Now, Doug's youngest daughter Hannah is the only one still at home, so I don't go out often. Hannah will graduate in a few more years, and I will make every effort to be there for it!

Meanwhile, I will keep on adding stories and photos about my life and activities. I will try to keep it somewhat interesting, but I am pretty sure only family members will want to spend time reading it all...

Until next time...  I have to go put my feet up. Today was a rather nice day, and I got a lot done... washed the screens and got them on, planted some big pots with flowers for the patio, painted a little wren house that hangs on our deck, brought some deck furniture and decor upstairs and put it out on the deck, and now I'm aching and tired. Both David and I have arthritis, and especially when we are active, those old joints begin to show our age. Tonight it's my ankles... So, folks, later....

  

My Life Working...

When we moved to Kanawha in 1977, after David finished his studies at Iowa State University and got his Masters degree, I applied and got a job working at the local newspaper. My first bosses were the Johnsons, owners at that time of the newspaper. I had my own IBM Selectric typewriter, so I did most of the typing at home, putting the news in columns that could then be pasted up onto the sheets of layout paper to be printed on newsprint at the printers. 

I did this kind of work every week until after Alitza was born, and after I decided I wanted to return to college to get my teaching certificate. As I posted earlier, I lived in Ames in married student housing for the months when I was in class, and came home the rest of the time to live in Kanawha. I took Alitza with me some of the time, and other times when I had tests and needed to study, she stayed at the home of my babysitters in Kanawha, and David took care of her during the evenings and weekends when he wasn't working.

After I got my degree in Art Education, and my teaching certificate, I returned home to work and live until David retired in 2014. As mentioned previously, I did some substitute teaching, but never was able to find a position in the area to teach art. I grew tired of substitute teaching, and was also working at the newspaper office part-time (it was only operating with open hours on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesday mornings until my boss took the layout sheets to the printer to have that week's issue of the Kanawha Reporter printed and bundled to be mailed and delivered.)

We made good friends with the people who also worked at the newspaper, and after it was sold, first to Ed and Barb Dorsey, and then to Rodger and Beth Tveiten, I continued working there. When Rodger bought the newspaper, he moved it to an apartment on Main Street, and we operated from that spot for several years. Later, he bought a building across from the new telephone company building. In fact, the building he bought had formerly been the telephone company office. That place was where I spent half of my weeks from that time until I retired in about 2006. (I retired at the age of 66 years.)

We did a lot of socializing with the people I worked with, and the photo below is an example of that. This was taken December 20, 1980, at the home of Louise and Bob Smith. Louise was a typist at the newspaper.

On the left, David is seated in one of Louise's pretty off-white swivel rockers. Louise loved red, and her carpeting was red, as can be seen in this photo. And, there I am, in my red outfit (from my sister Merry), coordinating quite nicely with the decor!

This is a photo of my boss, Rodger Tveiten, at the same Christmas party. (Louise had a habit of writing on her photos...a real no-no if you want them for 'posterity!') This must have been shortly after the Tveitens bought the paper, and just a couple of years after Alitza was born.

This photo was taken at an anniversary party we gave for Bill and Twila Schroeder. A corner of the anniversary cake can be seen in the lower right corner. I don't recall which anniversary we were celebrating, but it was a nice party, as we were dressed up in our nice stuff, and the good dishes and crystal is on the table! In the photo, Beth Tveiten is on the left in the turquoise dress, Rodger is in the center, and I am on the right, once again wearing a nice dress Merry gave to me. Back then, I was only about 145 lbs. and I could wear many of her clothes!

Louise's husband, Robert, had died in 1984, and by the time of this party in 1986, she was dating again. Louise was 71 years old on this birthday. In this photo, in the back row, are Twila and Bill Schroeder, Homer Hitchcock (Louise's current date at that time), and David. In front are Beth Tveiten, Louise with her birthday cake, and me. Often when we had a party, Rodger would bring movie tickets that he received from area theaters as payment for running their ads, and we would all go to a movie. It was a fun time, and they were fun people.

I was becoming a close friend to Louise, and was usually a 'sounding board' for her personal life issues. Louise had just one child, a son, and he lived in Rochester, MN, so after Robert's death, she sort of 'adopted' me, and we were close friends. I ended up being her power of attorney in 2000, and remained in that capacity until 2012, well after she entered the nursing home at the age of 91 years. 

In this rather blurry photo, I am again wearing one of the outfits given to me by my sister Merry (thank God for Merry!). We were at Louise's house for Christmas in 1987, and I am helping in the kitchen.

This photo was taken the same year, 1987, and is definitely not at Twila's house. That is Louise's off-white velour loveseat, and her print on the wall behind David and I. But, it's possible that we had cocktails at Louise's and then went to Twila's for the dinner. (Or, Louise's notation on the back of the previous photo could be incorrect!) Anyway, there is David with his beer, me with my 'peachie' and Alitza is seated on the floor just next to me. (Louise loved to make 'peachies!')

Louise's son Ron, and his former college roommate and fellow Vietnam vet, Wayne Hoelscher, decided Louise needed to meet Wayne's widowed father, Marcus. So, they arranged a date, and the two began to see each other. On June 27, 1992, Louise and Marcus were married, and Louise asked some of her friends to serve as 'bridesmaids.' In this photo, Twila, Lucille Swan, and I are eating a bit of lunch before the start of the wedding. As you can see, I still am in my red jeans, but I do have my top on for the wedding. (We made our outfits!)

In this shot, Louise and Marcus are dressed and waiting at the stairway just before they got ready for their wedding. 

And, here they are, at the restaurant, enjoying a toast to their future, and wearing their wedding clothes!

After the wedding, a party was put on by the wedding couple, and was held at the local restaurant. In this photo are Lois Schroeder (friend of Louise, and sister-in-law to Twila and Bill Schroeder), Rodger Tveiten (my boss) and me.

And, here are David and I, waiting to be served at the dinner party after Louise and Marcus' wedding.

Louise and Marcus sold their homes eventually, and moved to a senior living complex in Rochester, MN, to be near Louise's son and grandchildren. Marcus' son lived not far away in Minneapolis, so the move was convenient for both of them.

David, Alitza and I visited Marcus and Louise at RealLife in Rochester when she was caring for her son, Ron, who had become seriously ill. Here is a photo of the two of them...Marcus and Louise.

Louise's son Ron died at the age of 50 years in 1999.  After that sad event, Louise and Marcus moved back to Kanawha, and rented a nice apartment in a new complex that had been built. 

In this silly photo, I am dressed like a witch, with 2" fake black nails, a wig and some plastic spiders on my face. I am standing outside of Louise and Marcus' apartment with Marcus, and enjoying the many kids that came 'trick-or-treating' in their neighborhood. At our house on the research farm, we had very few trick-or-treaters, and I didn't get all dressed up for nothing! (I must admit I had to have help to get over to their apartment, even though it was only on the other end of town...just a few blocks! My nails were soooo long that I couldn't open the car door without one of them popping off, so David had to drive me to their apartment!)

In 2001, Louise's granddaughter Heather got remarried, and I went with Louise and Marcus to Heather's wedding in Rochester. 

This photo was taken at Heather's wedding in July of 2001, and you can see Louise, with Marcus behind, and me sitting at a table at the reception.

In spring of 2002, Marcus had a fatal heart attack. Louise was once again alone, and I became her sometime companion. I took her shopping weekly to Mason City, and we always ate lunch, usually at Applebee's, and had a pretty good time. Louise was a very fun lady!

Louise often had someone from town drive her to Rochester for doctor appointments and to visit Heather and Michael, her two grandchildren who lived there. She had various drivers, usually retired men from the community who wanted to do something useful with their time, and offered this service. Eventually, she hired Bill Dahl to drive for her, and they became close friends. Bill was a widower and lived in an apartment on the same side of town as Louise's apartment. They spent many hours playing cards, and singing while Louise played the organ (she had been organist for the Kanawha United Methodist Church for many years, and was exemplary as a musician.)

Here are Louise and Bill, seated on her pretty dark green velour couch, accompanied by all of Louise's stuffed bears! They were happy together.

In November of 2005, Louise and Bill were married at the Methodist church.

This is a photo of them at their wedding. Once again, Louise had her favorite color worked into the scheme of things... red!

Here she 'plants a big one' on David, who doesn't seem to mind!

I don't really remember the reason for this gathering of our group, but it was on November 16, 2005, and Rodger Tveiten was making good use of his camera!

Here are David and I, at that dinner.

In this shot, left to right, Carol, Louise and Beth Tveiten, enjoying eating out.

Now...we're starting to get a little silly...

Louise got sick and after an extended illness and hospitalization, she entered the Kanawha Community Home on June 16, 2006, where she lived out the rest of her life. Bill moved to an apartment across from the nursing home, and visited her every day until her death January 10, 2013. She had picked a loyal man, as Bill's first wife Ruth spent 11 years at the nursing home, and he visited her every day as well. Bill had become a regular fixture at the Kanawha Community Home, and he did many good deeds, until he also passed away, a few years after the death of Louise. Below is the last photo I have of Louise, after she had been at the nursing home for several years. She had become a 'shadow' of the fun-loving woman who had been my friend, but I continued to visit her and remained her power of attorney until her death. David and I cleaned out her apartment when Bill decided he didn't need such a large apartment. Bill moved to a smaller apartment, taking some of their furniture to use there.  His new, smaller apartment was right across the street from the nursing home, and he spent a lot of time there.

This was Louise on her 95th birthday, seated at one of the tables in the nursing home, enjoying a piece of her birthday cake (I had ordered and picked up the cake for this party). Louise was almost 98 years old at her death. 

Everything seems to happen with some purpose. After Louise's death on January 10, 2013, David retired, and we moved to our acreage in central Iowa. (David's retirement took place November 6, 2014.) I was happy to be able to help Louise during the latter part of her life, and she was a good friend.

Since we have moved, Rodger sold the newspaper and is now retired. Twila Schroeder died suddenly at the age of 85 years, and her husband Bill died a few years after that. 

Life is never the same. People come and people go. Some leave memories that last forever, and some are less memorable. Change is a constant, and often getting used to that can be a struggle, especially as one gets older. 

So, now that we are in a different house, a different part of the state, and our lives are quite a bit different, too. But, every day has its beauties and its challenges. Life goes on, and we are both well enough to enjoy it.

Keep visiting my blog, and I'll post photos and stories about our trips and our lives, and sometimes a good recipe or some other piece worth reading.

See you later...

The last few years of my mother's life, we all made a point of gathering and spending special times with her. In the photo below, Alitza is seated with her at her apartment on Mound Avenue in Cedar Rapids.

Mom always hated that she had her eyes closed for some of her photos...and here she does have them closed! But, it is a nice photo in any case. As you may be able to tell, the photo is a 'cut-out' of the two of them that has been inserted into a photo album in a collage of pictures.

On May 23, 1994 my mother Wilma celebrated her 95th birthday. We had a special party for her at the home of my sister, Jean Barrett Cooper Brown. Below is a group photo of all of her daughters at that event.

Left to right: (almost out of the photo...) Carol, Dorothy Ann, Jean, Wilma, Merry and Margaret.

In this photo, Wilma is pictured with her sons-in-law, Jack Brown on the left, and Bob Kelley on the right.

Here is another shot of the five Cooper sisters with their mother - her 95th birthday! Left to right - Carol, Dorothy Ann, Jean, Wilma, Merry and Margaret.

In this photo, everyone at the party raised a toast to Wilma, and she raises her glass right back!

 Getting ready to enjoy a piece of that pretty birthday cake!

Here is the 'birthday girl' standing next to a watercolor painting I did for Jean's condo. (I now have that painting above my bed in our home.) As you can see, my mother was in good health at this point in her life - quite a statement for the age of 95!

We had been enjoying Easter dinners as guests of Merry and Bob Kelley at their country club in Lisbon, Iowa, and in 1995, we gathered again for that occasion. In the photo above, from left to right - Carol (me), George Thiher (my sister Dorothy's husband), Jack Brown (my sister Jean's husband), Bob Kelley (my sister Merry's husband), Wilma at the head of the table, Merry, Dorothy Ann, and Alitza. We always had a good time at these gatherings!

I think this was Mother's Day in 1995, and we celebrated it at the home of Merry and Bob Kelley. In this photo, my mom is seated in the living area of the beautiful motor home owned by Merry and Bob. Next to her on the couch (nearly out of the photo) is my sister Jean, and her husband Jack is at the driver's seat, checking out all the cool equipment.

Shown in this photo at the home of Merry and Bob are Dorothy Ann, Wilma and Jean. We always had really good food and a great time when we got together!

This photo of my mother was taken at the home of Dorothy Ann and George Thiher on the occasion of her 96th birthday, which was May 23, 1995.

Here is Wilma once again, the day of her 96th birthday, at the home, seated next to her eldest daughter, Dorothy Ann, and Dorothy's husband, George.

Here, at the home of Dorothy Ann and George Thiher, on the occasion of her 96th birthday, is my mother, Bob Kelley, and her daughter, Merry Kelley.

Once again, in 1996, the family gathered for Easter dinner at Lisbon Country Club. In this photo, you can see the back of our daughter, Alitza. Across the table from her, left to right, are George Thiher, Dorothy Ann, Wilma, Jean and Jack Brown, Merry and Bob Kelley.

Here is a more inclusive view of the family gathered for Easter dinner at Lisbon Country Club. On the left is David Rueber, and across from him are Dave Hansen, Carol Hansen, and Alitza. At the adjoining table are George Thiher, Dorothy Ann behind him, Wilma, Jean, Jack, Merry and Bob.

Yet another view of our family gathering for Easter dinner. In front with their backs to the camera are Merry, Jack, Jean and Wilma. Across from them, left to right are Alitza, Carol and Dave Hansen, with George across the table from those folks.

Here, at the 1996 Easter Buffet at Lisbon Country Club, are Wilma with Carol and Dave Hansen joining her. Wilma was nearly 97 at the time of this photo.

Here is Wilma at a birthday party for her 97th birthday on May 23, 1996. The party was held at the home of Dorothy Ann and George Thiher, and shown in this picture is Wilma with her five daughters - Dorothy Ann, Margaret, Carol, Merry and Jean.

In the fall of 1997, it was decided that Wilma could no longer continue living on her own in her apartment. She was moved to Garnet Place Assisted Living and had a nice apartment there. But, after a fall about six months after this move, her daughters made the decision to enter her into a nursing home where she could receive more constant care. At the age of 98, she was moved to Northbrook Manor in Cedar Rapids, and lived there for several years.   

Here is Wilma in 1997, at the Lisbon Country Club for our annual Easter gathering. She often wore pink, and even had an article in her church's bulletin, which described her as 'pretty in pink.' She was nearly 98 years old in this photo. We often took our mom out for family gatherings, and this was one time when she was able to come with us to the dinner at Lisbon C.C.

This may have been on Mother's Day in 1998, at the condo of Jean and Jack Brown. Shown in this photo are Bob Kelley, Wilma, and her daughter, Jean.

In this photo taken on her 99th birthday, her age is beginning to be more evident, but she is still wearing her usual smile. My mom was always a kind-hearted, and cheerful person, even as the problems of aging begin to affect her. This would have been around May 23, 1998.

In this photo, my brother-in-law, Al Brookner is giving Wilma a big hug on the celebration of her 99th birthday.

The pretty birthday cake...

During the autumn of her 99th year, niece Janey came to Iowa for a visit, and in this photo, her daughter Brianna is giving Great-Grandma Cooper a big hug. My mother seems to be enjoying it!

And...her is Janey's son Ryan giving his great-grandmother a nice hug. Wilma really enjoyed those hugs!

Another occasion, this time at the home of Merry and Bob, here is Wilma with daughter Merry.

For her 100th birthday, May 23, 1999, we had another party. The gathering took place at the home of Dorothy Ann and George. In the photo above is Wilma, surrounded by three of her daughters - Merry, Jean and Margaret.

In this photo during a toast to her long life, Wilma waves at the camera, and is joined in the photo by Merry, Jean and Margaret.

As is evident in this photo on her 100th birthday, Wilma's age is becoming an issue with her health. But, she remained pretty cognizant, although at times she did a bit of 'time-traveling.' Once when I was visiting her at the nursing home, I asked her what she had been doing, and she replied, "Well, I took the train to Sac City, and I think I left my sweater at the depot." Her comments at the nursing home often made us laugh, and we could see that her sense of humor and intelligence was still there...somewhere. One time when one of my sisters was wheeling her through several hallways to have her hair fixed at the nursing home's beauty shop, she remarked, "This is a regular labyrinth!" On another occasion, she made some small mistake, and said, "Mark up another one for Cooper!"

At her 100th birthday party, relatives from out of town came to see her. In the photo above are her niece Marilyn Barrett Smith Hrubes and one of Marilyn's daughters, Lisa Smith Hess. They came from Des Moines, Iowa to see Wilma on this centennial birthday. (Both of these family members are now deceased.)

Also visiting for her 100th birthday was the son of her only brother Herbert. This is Herbert Barrett, Jr. and he came from the Brainerd/Mil Lacs area of Minnesota to attend her birthday. Herbert is the brother of Marilyn in the photo above. They were the children of Herbert Eugene Barrett and Crystel Christensen Barrett. (Herbert is also now deceased.)

At Christmas time in 2000, Wilma received a new winter coat. In this photo, she is modeling her pretty coat.

 Wilma's Northbrook Manorisms

We loved our mother's continual ability to connect with us through her funny comments. One time Mother scooted her wheelchair to the room next door where another woman stayed. The nursing home discouraged these visits because the woman didn't want to be disturbed. My mother remarked, "They say she is nuts...that is why we are all here!"

On another occasion when one of us girls mentioned that the wallpaper in the lounge area was sure lively, Mother said, "Yes, it is. It's the only lively thing here!"

One time Jean and Merry went to a consultation about Mother's care. The social worker asked her if there was anything she needed, and she replied, "I'm the sort of person who likes to think about it for awhile before she makes a decision."

Some of her 'incidents' at the nursing home were a bit worrying. On one occasion, an aide was helping her get into her nightgown and she kicked the woman. Knowing my mother, even in her reduced state of personality, she was not a mean person. We decided that maybe the gal was being a big rough with her, and she retaliated. Since I had been the one she told about this event, I reported it to the head nurse, saying I didn't want to get anyone into trouble, but that maybe the person should be observed while attending to my mother. (The next time I saw that aide, she was working in another part of the nursing home. Never be concerned about reporting incidents that seem a bit 'off.' Your relative may need a spokesperson.) Another time, an aide was attempting to take out Mother's partial dental plate, and she got bitten. A note to nursing home workers: Just because someone is in the nursing home, don't assume they don't know what is going on. It would be wise, and to your own benefit to realize that just because these people are elderly and often don't make a lot of sense, they are not yet 'gone' and should be treated the same way your would want to be treated. Don't be brusque or hasty with them. Explain what you are going to do, and be gentle. They have little time left on this earth, and their time should not be unduly stressful.

On Tuesday, July 11, 2000, Wilma died. She was 101 years of age on May 23, 2000. Many family members gathered for her funeral at Cedar Memorial Funeral Home. She was buried next to our father, Robert Wayne Cooper, and next to her granddaughter, Bonnie Ray Burns Picard. 

Above is the obituary I wrote up and published in the Kanawha Reporter newspaper, where I was the office manager. 

The obituary above appeared in the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

In this photo, family members are gathered at the chapel where the funeral service was held. Family members shown in the photo are listed below the photo.

Here is another shot of family members gathering outside the funeral chapel. Left to right - Dave Herman (great-grandson), Michael Herman (grandson), Sara Herman (great-granddaughter), Jim Herman (grandson), Janey Brown Giles (now Lambert) - (granddaughter), and Jill Brown LaForge (granddaughter).

Pictured at the top of this collage are Jill Brown LaForge (granddaughter), Jean Brown (daughter) and Julie Brookner Holt (granddaughter). On the left is Susan Brookner Hood, with Julie Brookner Holt in the center. Both of these women were Wilma's granddaughters. On the right is Margaret Cooper Brookner, a daughter of Wilma. At the bottom, those in the photograph are listed - Janey (Brown Giles Lambert), Alitza Rueber, Jeff Brookner, Steven Brookner, Jill Brown LaForge (hidden), Jean Brown, and Julie Brookner Holt.

In the photo collage above are the daughters and grandchildren of Wilma Venette Cooper. One granddaughter was not able to attend, and that was Diane Jean Hansen-Johnson of Phoenix, AZ. Names of the children and grandchildren who were able to attend are listed below the photos, or on the photos.

This is a page from the scrapbook I made about my mother's life. She always tried to be cheerful, and was a very loving person. Personally, I think my mother influenced me to be a caring, kind-hearted person, and I value those gifts from her. She was a true 'lady!' and will be forever missed.

In a letter received by her oldest daughter, Dorothy Ann, from her family physician (Dr. Thomas Schroeder, M.D.) after her death, he said, "I am sorry for the great loss that you are having with the passing of your mother. I know that Wilma's general condition had markedly deteriorated. I am relieved that she is suffering no more. I enjoyed having Wilma as a patient. She was always a delightful lady. I am sure she was a very good mother..... Please give (your sisters) the same condolences. If I can be of any help, please feel free to call."

I think this tribute we gave to our mother through radio station KGAN, Channel 2 television station - "Mom of the Moment" - tells of our devotion and love as well as anything we could say here.

Wilma was chosen in May of 1982 to be one of 12 women chosen as "Mom of the Moment" by Channel 2, KGAN-TV, 'symbolizing the loving, caring, wonderful things that Moms say and do to be so Special. (Each of us daughters submitted comments about Wilma that helped them choose her for this honor. The tributes were read on KGAN-TV, Channel 2, on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 9th, 1982.

Here are the things we wrote about our beloved mother:

Dorothy Ann Cooper Herman Thiher ~ "My eighty-three year old mother is a religious, beautiful, sharp lady who has been a good example for her five daughters. I love her."

Jean Barrett Cooper Brown ~ "A tribute to my mother - Wilma Cooper. Mother at 83 is an independent lady. She sews, bakes, drives, gardens, manages her finances, quotes Shakespeare, and has a great sense of humor."

Merry Janet Cooper Burns Goldberg Kelley ~ "Guiness Records category: Truly Outstanding Mother, Record-Holder: Wilma Cooper, 83. Unmatched for glowing faith, strength during adversity, intelligence, kindness, unselfish caring for others."

Margaret May Cooper Brookner ~ "She is the best mother because: At age 83, she cooks, keeps house, gardens, sews, drives a car, is deacon in her church, but mostly, she's fun to be with, no matter what age you are."

Carol Lynn Cooper Hansen Rueber ~ "She is strong, yet gentle; she sees beyond error to dwell on good; her hand still reaches out with firm support when needed... Mother...friend."

To sum up our mother's life and her demise, these words leave us with a sense of her being and give us comfort on her loss:

Do not stand at my grave and weep;

I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow;

I am the diamond glints on snow;

I am the sunlight on ripened grain; 

I am the gentle autumn's rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft star that shines at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry.

I am not there. I did not die.

 ~ Author Unknown

Submitted by Wilma's niece Bettye Wells, at the time of our father Wayne's death.

Come on back to find out more about my family, my heritage and my own life, on posts to come...