Loren Wayne COOPER

COOPER, ERICKSON, PETERSON, SCHULDT, CUNNINGHAM, WARE, ROBERTS, BOWDEN, RYAN, BROWER, SHILLINGTON, SIMONS, DALLWITZ, MILLER, BOOTS, PITTELKOW, LEISINGER, JAMISON, EBELING, AZELTINE

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/27/2012 at 14:02:41

February 2, 1920 --- October 14, 2012

Loren Wayne Cooper, a lifelong resident of Dows, Iowa, was born February 2, 1920, in rural Franklin County, to Wayne C. and Mabel (Erickson) Cooper as the third of four children. He died at the age of 92 on Sunday, October 14, 2012, at the Heritage Care Center in Iowa Falls.

Loren attended Morgan Township Country School through eighth grade, after which he stayed home and helped on the family’s farm near Dows. In 1942, he entered the U.S. Army and served in the South Pacific in World War II as a radio operator. He was discharged as a Technical Sergeant from the 159th Antiaircraft Artillery Operations Detachment in 1945. After the war, he worked in Mason City at a cement plant and then returned to farming. Along with helping his father, he did day work at other farms. He married Patricia Ruth Peterson of Hampton on February 9, 1955, in Albert Lea, Minnesota. After living on the family farm for many years, they purchased the farm themselves in 1971.

He loved spending time with family and friends, taking vacations with Pat, visiting relatives, playing cards, and taking care of his yard. He took pride in the operations of his farm, he worked hard raising hogs and grain, and he liked buying a new car on a regular basis. He was loved for his sense of humor and he enjoyed a good practical joke. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Dows. After church, he enjoyed having dinner with other members of the congregation. He was a good neighbor and enjoyed helping people when he could.

Loren Cooper is survived by his wife of 57 years, Pat Cooper. He was a thoughtful and devoted husband. He is also survived by sister-in-law Bernita Peterson, brother-in-law Duane Schuldt, brother- and sister-in-law Lauren and Meredith Peterson, and sister-in-law Kathryn Cooper. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews, many of whom knew him as “Uncle Duke”: Karen and Butch Cunningham, Deanna Ware, Mary Jo Roberts, Kay and Tom Bowden, Ronald and Margo Ryan, Linda and Jay Brower, Janaan Shillington, Colleen and Steve Simons, Donna Dallwitz, Dennis and Janice Peterson, Dean and Mary Peterson, Dan and Teresa Peterson, Debra and Dalen Miller, Dwight and Sherri Peterson, Donna and Bob Boots, Dawn Peterson, Brenda and Jim Pittelkow, Mary Leisinger, Mark and Kim Peterson, Stephen Peterson, Sarah and Jeff Jamison, Rebekah and Paul Ebeling. He is preceded in death by his parents; his brother Wallace Cooper; and his sisters and their husbands, Ardelle and Maynard Azeltine and Ardeth and Glen Ryan.

Services are entrusted to Dugger Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 17, at the Dugger Funeral Home at 100 North Lee in Dows. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 18, at First United Methodist Church of Dows, Pastor Kalen Fristad officiating, with burial at Fairview Cemetery. Graveside military rites will provided by the American Legion Watson-Beach Post #523 of Dows.

DUGGER FUNERAL HOMES, 100 NORTH LEE STREET.
DOWS, IOWA
http://www.duggerfunerals.com/current-services.html