Myrna Sue Cooney, 06 Sept 1937 - 15 Nov 2018

COONEY, MASON, HAKES, DOSS, RATHJEN, GRUBER

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 12/10/2018 at 15:04:58

MYRNA SUE COONEY

Cedar Rapids

Myrna Sue Cooney, 81, of Cedar Rapids, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, surrounded by her family. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, at St Paul's United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids.

She is survived by her son, Bill Mason; grandchildren, Kathryn Mason, William J. (Stephanie) Mason, and Sarah Mason; greatgrandchildren, Stella and Ella Doss, Justin Mason, and Lauren and Liam Mason. Also surviving are her sister Kathleen (Keith) Rathjen, niece Kira (Conrad) Gruber and nephew Karl (Carolyn) Rathen, all of Dallas, Texas.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold Cooney.

Myrna was born Sept. 6, 1937, to Walter and Norma [Hakes] Lenoch in Williamsburg, Iowa. She graduated from Williamsburg High School and attended the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Coe College. She began her teaching career in Cedar Rapids in 1963, and taught at Cleveland Elementary and Taft Middle School for 38 years. After retirement, she taught at Hamilton College and Kaplan University for 10 years, retiring for a second time on her 75th birthday.

Myrna was married to Harold C. Cooney on Dec. 21, 1968, at St Paul's United Methodist Church and they shared 45 years of travel adventures, family and friends. She joined St Paul's UMC in 1963 and served the congregation continuously for 55 years in a variety of capacities, ranging from Sunday school teacher to bell choirs and, finally, teaching and mentoring refugees.

Myrna's life was devoted to education, both in and out of the classroom. She is loved, valued and admired by so many, and is greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy's Band Program, which gave her so much joy in her final years.

The Gazette, 07 Dec 2018 10a

Rathen - correct spelling is Rathjen