Bertha Bums (Barker) Cooley

COOLEY, BARKER, HARDISTY, BUMS, THOMAS, HITCHCOCK, DICK

Posted By: Marlene Skalberg (email)
Date: 4/14/2012 at 16:23:30

Bertha (Barker) Cooley, 97, daughter of Robert Oscar and Zoula M. (Hardisty) Bums was born March 29, 1896, in Adams County, Iowa, and died Nov. 9, 1993, at Colonial Manor Nursing Home in Corning. When her father was missing in a military conflict in the Philippines, her mother married Edwin Thomas who raised her.
She attended school in the old Corning Academy,graduating in 1914. In 1915 she attended Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, to get a teaching certificate. Later she participated in a continuing education program at the Clarinda Community College for a certificate in art. She taught country schools, homemaking and sewing groups under sponsorship of the Farm Bureau, and taught Sunday School for 22 years. She was a member of the. United Methodist Church arid served as president of the Women's Society for 15 years.
In 1917 she married Monte E. Barker and, except for two years during WW II when they worked in warplants in Bremerton, Wash. They lived in Corning, owning and operating the Barker Hotel. She was active in WCTU. BPW and was listed in the BPW "Who's Who book as an outstanding business women of the year. After Monte died she was married to Leon Hitchcock, and Willard Dick before marrying Harold Cooley Jan. 15, 1975, In Corning where she lived the rest of her life.
She was preceded in death by her mother and two fathers; three husbands; a brother-in-law Joseph Davis; a sister Esther, and her husband Carl Pridgen; a brother Everett "Dewey" (wife Anna) Burns; and two step-grandchildren.
Mrs. Cooley is survived by her husband Harold of Coming; four step-children. Anna Ruth (husband Glenn) Hardlsty of Prescott, Emma (husband George) Newman of St. Paul, Minn., Harold Eugene (wife Mary Lou) Cooley of Mt. Etna, and Jack (wife Bertha) Dick of Carbon; 27 step-grandchildren; many step-great; and step-great-great-grandchildren; a sister Frances Davis of Collingswood, N.J.
Services were held Nov. 13 at Coen-Beaty Funeral Home with Rev. Richard Layman officiating.
Casket bearers were Donald Pridgen, Earl Hardlsty, Mike Kempton, Steve Page, .John Bowen, Paul Cooley. Honorary bearers were Glen Hardlsty, Howard Cooley, Byron Stanley, Eugene Cooley, Jack Dick, Ted Cooley. John Rlegel. Dean Pridgen.
Burial was at Oakland Cemetery, Adams County.
Memorials may be made to the United Methodist Church or Colonial Manor Nursing Home.
Adams County Free Press, November 18, 1993, page 2