Cooper, Elliott E, Sr. (1924-2008)

COOPER, WILLIAMS, OLINE, JUHL, DAVISON

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 5/27/2013 at 14:29:48

Elliott E. Cooper, Sr.
January 15, 1924 - March 26, 2008

FOREST CITY — Elliott E. Cooper, Sr., age 84, of Forest City, died on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Forest City.

Elliott E. Cooper was born on January 15, 1924, to Carl and Mary (Williams) Cooper in New Hampton, Missouri. After graduating from New Hampton High School in 1941, he attended the University of Michigan on a National Defense Scholarship. In 1943, he entered the United States Army and served until his honorable discharge in 1945. Notably, he was the last living Winnebago County resident to have participated in the Normandy Invasion, and his Unit was one of the first United States Army Units to enter the Concentration Camp at Buchenwald.

On November 25, 1945, Elliott married Anna J. Oline in Independence, Iowa. They, then, moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where he completed his education at Drake University.

Elliott received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Drake University on May 30, 1949, and his Juris Doctor Degree from the School of Law at Drake University on January 28, 1951. He was admitted to the Bar on February 17, 1951. He and Anna, then, moved to Forest City, Iowa, where he practiced law until his retirement in 2005.

Elliott was instrumental in creating Winnebago Industries, Inc., from the ruins of Modernistic Industries, and during his tenure as an Officer and Director, he saw the Company rise to membership in the Fortune 500. He also founded what is now Manufacturers Bank and Trust Co.

A member of the Forest City Lions Club for over fifty years, Elliott also joined and supported many other local organizations. In 1958, he and Anna were chosen by the Lions of Iowa as the Official Escort for Miss Iowa when the Iowa Hawkeyes played in the 1959 Rose Bowl Game.

Throughout his adult life, Elliott enthusiastically supported Drake University, and in 1969, he and Anna were named Drake University Parents of the Year.

He had a keen interest in American History, especially in Colonial America, the Revolutionary War, and the American Civil War. He was a supporter of a number of organizations dedicated to preserving those periods of our History, and constantly strove to improve his knowledge on those subjects.

He was an avid fisherman, flower gardener, woodworker, and baseball fan. He and Anna traveled the world, yet he found no greater pleasure than simply spending time at home with his family.

Elliott is survived by Anna Cooper, his wife of more than sixty-two years; his sons, Elliott Cooper, Jr., of Forest City, and Robert Cooper, and his wife, Donna, of Forest City, and her children, Katy and Derek Juhl; his grandson, Michael Cooper, and his wife, Christie, of Dallas, Texas, and her daughter, Amber Davison; and his granddaughter, Amy Cooper, of Mason City, Iowa.

Those wishing to extend a memorial may direct it to the Good Samaritan Society of Forest City or Hospice of North Iowa.

Funeral service will be on Monday, March 31, 2008, at 11:00 AM at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City with Pastor Barb Spaulding officiating. Burial will be at Madison Township Cemetery in Forest City. Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 30, 2008, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the funeral home and an hour prior to services at the church.

Copyright © 2008, Petersen Lund Funeral Home

Petersen Lund Funeral Home
 

Winnebago Obituaries maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen