Bernard F. "Beanie" Cooper 1928 - 2014

COOPER KARHOFF, JORDAHL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/26/2014 at 19:27:09

Sioux City Journal
22 April 2014

SIOUX CITY | Bernard F. "Beanie" Cooper, 86, of Sioux City died on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, at Holy Spirit Retirement Home following a brief illness.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Michael Catholic Church. The Rev. David Hemann will officiate. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 4 to 8p.m. today, with a rosary at 4 p.m. led by the staff from Trinity Heights and a parish vigil service at 5:30 p.m., at Larkin Chapel, Christy-Smith Funeral Home.

Mr. Cooper was born on March 1, 1928, in Sioux City, the son of Victor and Melinda (Karhoff) Cooper. He attended Immaculate Conception Grade School, Trinity High School and Morningside College. Beanie was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict, servicing in the U.S. Air Force.

He married the love of his life, Ruby Jordahl on March 26, 1951 in Sioux City, sharing more than 63 years of marriage and they had 10 children. Mr. Cooper was an educator for 40 years, serving as a teacher, coach, and administrator at Garrigan High School in Algona, Iowa, Heelan High School in Sioux City, the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, and Indiana State University in Terre Haute. Beanie was recognized with a number of awards during his coaching years. He also served on various NCAA Committees, chairing the National NCAA Division IAA Football Committee in the 1980s.

After his retirement in 1990, Mr. Cooper served as the executive director of the Queen of Peace Inc. for 20 years and was instrumental in the development of the Trinity Heights property during that time.

Survivors include his wife, Ruby of Sioux City; his children, Gary Allen Cooper of Le Mars, Iowa, Mike and Sandy (Hergenreter) Cooper of Lowden, Iowa, Kathy (Cooper) and Derald Stafford of Medford, Ore., Pat and Anita (Charlson) Cooper of Eagan, Minn., Tim and Peggy (Nordyke) Cooper of Eagle, Idaho, Mary (Cooper) and Nick Merrigan of Vermillion, Linda Cooper of Omaha, and Chris (Cooper) and Craig Johnson of Vermillion; 24 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.

Beanie was preceded in death by his two sons, John and Thomas; his parents; two brothers, Rev. Harold Cooper and Dr. Jerry Cooper; and his sister, Mary Ann.

In lieu of flowers, memorial may be made to the Queen of Peace, Inc., P.O. Box 1707, Sioux City, IA, 51102.