Cooper, Donita Mae 1934-2025

COOPER, CLEMENT, GENGLER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 10/1/2025 at 18:51:28

Donita Mae Cooper, 91, of Le Mars, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at the Good Samaritan Society in Holstein, Iowa.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at Mauer-Johnson Funeral Home in Le Mars, with Reverend Tim Geitz officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Cemetery in Le Mars. Visitation with the family present will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, prior to the service, at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers and gifts, memorials are encouraged to the Alzheimer's Association or a hospice organization of your choice.

Donita was born Donita Mae Clement on July 2, 1934, in rural Correctionville, Iowa, to Wilbert and Leona (Gengler) Clement. She moved with her family to Le Mars at a young age, where she attended school and graduated from Le Mars Central High School in 1952. After attending business school, she worked in Minneapolis for several years before returning to Le Mars and working for various local businesses.

On January 16, 1960, Donita was united in marriage to Robert Cooper in Le Mars. They made their home in Le Mars before moving to Merrill in 1969. A devoted homemaker Donita later joined the staff of the Le Mars Daily Sentinel once her children reached school age.

In 1984, the couple relocated to Oklahoma, where Donita worked as a secretary at St. Mark Lutheran Church in Edmond, OK. They returned to Le Mars in 1999. Robert passed away in 2002, and Donita continued to reside in Le Mars.

A longtime member of Grace Lutheran Church, Donita was active in the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) for many years. She found joy in crafting, flower gardening, playing cards, and sharing coffee and conversation with her dear friends Dorothy Bock, Betty Fuller, and Doris Williams. Above all, her greatest joy was her family.

Donita is survived by her daughters, LeAnn Cooper and Linda (Kevin) Christensen, both of Le Mars; her grandchildren, Joe (Chrissy) Cooper of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Ashley (Andrew) Woodworth of Phoenix, Arizona; a sister-in-law, Joyce Schroeder of Emerson, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert; her son, Thomas Cooper; her grandson, Adam Cooper; and brothers-in-law Jim Cooper and Del Schroeder.