COOP, William Henry 1836-1915

COOP, GILBERT, HENDERSON, ANKROM, EASTON, TAYLOR, GURNNA, WILKINS, LEGGETT, LAMSON, HEATON, DUBOIS, LOUDEN, GOSSICK, FULTON, MCCLAIN, JUNKIN, JONES, WILSON, WEST, JAQUES, GANTZ, CRAFT, ISRAEL, SPRATT

Posted By: Richard K Thompson (email)
Date: 9/2/2009 at 12:03:01

Fairfield Daily Journal
Monday, August 9, 1915

BIG FUNERAL FOR PIONEER WM. COOP

William H. COOP, for seventy-nine years a resident of what is now Jefferson county and a pioneer who was well known to almost every person in the county died Sunday evening at the home of his brother, Lafe COOP, on East Hempstead street. He had been in feeble health for more than a year and bedfast for several months. Death was due to hardening of the arteries.

Mr. COOP long ago established the fact that he was the first white child born in Jefferson county.

On the sixth day of June, 1836, William G. COOP and his wife Nancy stopped their team of oxen on a spot on the vast prairie which was to form Iowa, and a part of it Jefferson county. In a tent in what is now the northwest corner of Cedar township on the 13th day of July, a son was born to these white settlers. That son was William H. COOP.

Born in a tent he had from his earliest recollections no other playmates but the little Indian children whose parents roamed the prairies where Jefferson county is today. Oxen were his father's beasts of burden and this old settler could talk by the hour of how his parents would go to Burlington and Beardstown, Ill, for the family supplies and milling. Mr. COOP's father was a Colonel in the famous Blackhawk Indian war and was thirteen times elected to the legislature of the territory of Iowa.

There are probably no other persons in the state who could say that he had been a resident of the same county in which he was born for so long a period as Mr. COOP. He had been a resident of Fairfield ever since the city was first laid out and has watched its steady growth from a little Indian trading station and a one time wilderness to one of the most enterprising and progressive cities in Iowa. He had lived here since his birth and has, according to his own words, he desired to die. Here he was married and in this county his family has grown to manhood and womanhood.

Realizing the fact that the first white child born in Jefferson county would prove a drawing card, the attraction committee for the big home coming celebration held in Burlington in September, 1907, engaged Mr. COOP to bring his team of oxen which he had broken and taught to drive, to come to Burlington and stay the entire week. He was also engaged for the Iowa State Fair with his oxen, and was also an attraction for numerous Fairfield celebrations and Old Settlers' Days.

Mr. COOP is survived by one brother Lafe COOP of this city, and two sisters, Mrs. Christian GILBERT of this city, and Mrs. Clarinda HENDERSON of Lincoln, Kansas.

Feb. 28, 1861, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary R. ANKROM and to this union the following children were born: Mrs. Louis EASTON of this city, Mrs. John TAYLOR of Los Angeles, California, and Mrs. William GURNNA, of Denver, Colo., Mrs. Anna WILKINS of Los Angeles, Calif., Bird COOP of this city and Lee COOP of Denver, Colo. One daughter, Louise COOP, passed away some time ago.

The funeral of Mr. COOP will be in the nature of a public memorial for him and the pioneers of Iowa. The services will be held Tuesday morning at nine o'clock in the First Methodist church, of which denomination he was a member, and will be in charge of Rev. A.H. Lathrop, D.D.

At 10:30 the funeral cortege will go by automobile to the Antioch cemetery where another short service will be held. This service will be opened with prayer by Rev. Wether, followed by a song by the Antioch choir. The address will be made by Judge C.D. LEGGETT of Fairfield. Interment will be in the Antioch cemetery. The funeral will be in charge of and is being arranged by the old settlers of Jefferson county.

The honorary pallbearers are: Ralph LAMSON, Hiram HEATON, R.D. DUBOIS, Wm. LOUDEN, Cranmore GAGE, W.N. GOSSICK, C.J. FULTON, John W. MCCLAIN, C.M. JUNKIN, L.D. JONES, C.D. LEGGETT, R.J. WILSON, John WEST, A.W. JAQUES, J.S. GANTZ, Capt. B.F. CRAFT, Robt. ISRAEL, D.F. SPRATT, O.D. STUBBS, Henry PUMPHREY, W.C. BALL, G.W. BALL, Richard GAINES, Horton SPENCER, F.F. SIMPSON. The active pall bearers will be: A.L. COOP, John GILBERT, Samuel SIMONS, W.L. COOP, Jeff PARKS, D.B. COOP.

Old fashioned flowers will be secured by R.W. LAMSON. The funeral cortege will travel by automobile and a large number of cars have already been offered for this purpose. An auto hearse has been secured from Ottumwa. It is expected that the relatives present will number over seventy-five.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.