Montgomery grad dies in crash
18-year-old choral student was driving back to college in Iowa from a friend's Minnesota home
By Jeremy Hay
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 5:54 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 2:58 a.m.
A Santa Rosa teenager died Sunday night after the car she and four friends were in crashed on a rain-drenched Iowa highway while driving back to school after their Thanksgiving holiday.
Jessica Cooper, 18, graduated from Montgomery High School in June, then followed her passion for jazz singing to the School for Music Vocations at Southwestern Community College, in Creston, Iowa.
She was driving back to school from Minnesota, where she'd spent Thanksgiving with a roommate's family, when she lost control on Interstate 35, north of Des Moines, said her mother, Mary Greathouse, of Santa Rosa.
Cooper overcorrected while trying to regain control of her car, a 1988 Buick, and was ejected as the car rolled six times, the Iowa State Patrol said. Four passengers suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the 6:30 p.m. crash.
Initial reports that one of the passengers also was from Santa Rosa could not be confirmed.
Cooper, a soprano who was president of Montgomery's choral program in her senior year, had loved performing since she was a child, her mother said.
"On stage, she came alive, just beaming," Greathouse said, but Cooper discovered inadvertently that singing was the type of performance she most loved.
Learning as a freshman that she could not get into the drama classes she wanted, Cooper opted for the choir classes.
"She discovered a passion for it as a freshman, and she really stuck with it," said Dana Alexander, who taught Cooper for four years as Montgomery's director of choral music.
"She had a lovely natural instrument, she had that as a gift," Alexander said of Cooper, "but she also worked very hard, and she was very passionate about her music."
Erin Sweeney, close to Cooper since they met as Montgomery freshmen, said her friend — whom she described as "a very dramatic person but always, always there when you needed her" — found a deep inner satisfaction when she sang.
"She could really be herself when she was doing it, which was something that meant a lot to her," Sweeney said. "I think it gave her a lot of confidence because she was really good at it."
Cooper, an only child, was born June 19, 1988, in Kentfield. Her mother, who raised Cooper alone, moved to Sonoma County when Cooper was an infant.
When her daughter told her she wanted to attend Southwestern Community College's nationally respected jazz singing program, Greathouse said she replied: "Make it happen."
And Cooper bent herself to the task: auditioning, practicing, practicing and practicing, and traveling alone to the school for entrance interviews.
She won a School for Music Vocations performance scholarship and, from Montgomery High, a William Barclay Scholarship for aspiring choral singers, and had recently learned that she'd won another academic grant from her college, Greathouse said.
"Whenever she'd start to slack, she'd go, ‘You know what, I don't want to do this,' " Greathouse said. "I think she understood the challenge and what it meant for her."
Greathouse and Cooper drove east in August, when she last saw her daughter.
"She couldn't wait to get there, she didn't want to do any sightseeing, she wanted to get there," Greathouse said.
A viewing is set for 4 to 8¬p.m. Saturday at Daniels' Chapel of the Roses, 1225 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa.
Funeral services are planned for Sunday at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses, 2500 Patio Court, in Santa Rosa. A viewing from 1 to 2¬p.m. is to be followed by services from 2 to 4 p.m.
18-year-old choral student was driving back to college in Iowa from a friend's Minnesota home
By Jeremy Hay
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 5:54 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 2:58 a.m.
A Santa Rosa teenager died Sunday night after the car she and four friends were in crashed on a rain-drenched Iowa highway while driving back to school after their Thanksgiving holiday.
Jessica Cooper, 18, graduated from Montgomery High School in June, then followed her passion for jazz singing to the School for Music Vocations at Southwestern Community College, in Creston, Iowa.
She was driving back to school from Minnesota, where she'd spent Thanksgiving with a roommate's family, when she lost control on Interstate 35, north of Des Moines, said her mother, Mary Greathouse, of Santa Rosa.
Cooper overcorrected while trying to regain control of her car, a 1988 Buick, and was ejected as the car rolled six times, the Iowa State Patrol said. Four passengers suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the 6:30 p.m. crash.
Initial reports that one of the passengers also was from Santa Rosa could not be confirmed.
Cooper, a soprano who was president of Montgomery's choral program in her senior year, had loved performing since she was a child, her mother said.
"On stage, she came alive, just beaming," Greathouse said, but Cooper discovered inadvertently that singing was the type of performance she most loved.
Learning as a freshman that she could not get into the drama classes she wanted, Cooper opted for the choir classes.
"She discovered a passion for it as a freshman, and she really stuck with it," said Dana Alexander, who taught Cooper for four years as Montgomery's director of choral music.
"She had a lovely natural instrument, she had that as a gift," Alexander said of Cooper, "but she also worked very hard, and she was very passionate about her music."
Erin Sweeney, close to Cooper since they met as Montgomery freshmen, said her friend — whom she described as "a very dramatic person but always, always there when you needed her" — found a deep inner satisfaction when she sang.
"She could really be herself when she was doing it, which was something that meant a lot to her," Sweeney said. "I think it gave her a lot of confidence because she was really good at it."
Cooper, an only child, was born June 19, 1988, in Kentfield. Her mother, who raised Cooper alone, moved to Sonoma County when Cooper was an infant.
When her daughter told her she wanted to attend Southwestern Community College's nationally respected jazz singing program, Greathouse said she replied: "Make it happen."
And Cooper bent herself to the task: auditioning, practicing, practicing and practicing, and traveling alone to the school for entrance interviews.
She won a School for Music Vocations performance scholarship and, from Montgomery High, a William Barclay Scholarship for aspiring choral singers, and had recently learned that she'd won another academic grant from her college, Greathouse said.
"Whenever she'd start to slack, she'd go, ‘You know what, I don't want to do this,' " Greathouse said. "I think she understood the challenge and what it meant for her."
Greathouse and Cooper drove east in August, when she last saw her daughter.
"She couldn't wait to get there, she didn't want to do any sightseeing, she wanted to get there," Greathouse said.
A viewing is set for 4 to 8¬p.m. Saturday at Daniels' Chapel of the Roses, 1225 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa.
Funeral services are planned for Sunday at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses, 2500 Patio Court, in Santa Rosa. A viewing from 1 to 2¬p.m. is to be followed by services from 2 to 4 p.m.
Montgomery grad dies in crash
18-year-old choral student was driving back to college in Iowa from a friend's Minnesota home
By Jeremy Hay
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 5:54 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 2:58 a.m.
A Santa Rosa teenager died Sunday night after the car she and four friends were in crashed on a rain-drenched Iowa highway while driving back to school after their Thanksgiving holiday.
Jessica Cooper, 18, graduated from Montgomery High School in June, then followed her passion for jazz singing to the School for Music Vocations at Southwestern Community College, in Creston, Iowa.
She was driving back to school from Minnesota, where she'd spent Thanksgiving with a roommate's family, when she lost control on Interstate 35, north of Des Moines, said her mother, Mary Greathouse, of Santa Rosa.
Cooper overcorrected while trying to regain control of her car, a 1988 Buick, and was ejected as the car rolled six times, the Iowa State Patrol said. Four passengers suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the 6:30 p.m. crash.
Initial reports that one of the passengers also was from Santa Rosa could not be confirmed.
Cooper, a soprano who was president of Montgomery's choral program in her senior year, had loved performing since she was a child, her mother said.
"On stage, she came alive, just beaming," Greathouse said, but Cooper discovered inadvertently that singing was the type of performance she most loved.
Learning as a freshman that she could not get into the drama classes she wanted, Cooper opted for the choir classes.
"She discovered a passion for it as a freshman, and she really stuck with it," said Dana Alexander, who taught Cooper for four years as Montgomery's director of choral music.
"She had a lovely natural instrument, she had that as a gift," Alexander said of Cooper, "but she also worked very hard, and she was very passionate about her music."
Erin Sweeney, close to Cooper since they met as Montgomery freshmen, said her friend — whom she described as "a very dramatic person but always, always there when you needed her" — found a deep inner satisfaction when she sang.
"She could really be herself when she was doing it, which was something that meant a lot to her," Sweeney said. "I think it gave her a lot of confidence because she was really good at it."
Cooper, an only child, was born June 19, 1988, in Kentfield. Her mother, who raised Cooper alone, moved to Sonoma County when Cooper was an infant.
When her daughter told her she wanted to attend Southwestern Community College's nationally respected jazz singing program, Greathouse said she replied: "Make it happen."
And Cooper bent herself to the task: auditioning, practicing, practicing and practicing, and traveling alone to the school for entrance interviews.
She won a School for Music Vocations performance scholarship and, from Montgomery High, a William Barclay Scholarship for aspiring choral singers, and had recently learned that she'd won another academic grant from her college, Greathouse said.
"Whenever she'd start to slack, she'd go, ‘You know what, I don't want to do this,' " Greathouse said. "I think she understood the challenge and what it meant for her."
Greathouse and Cooper drove east in August, when she last saw her daughter.
"She couldn't wait to get there, she didn't want to do any sightseeing, she wanted to get there," Greathouse said.
A viewing is set for 4 to 8¬p.m. Saturday at Daniels' Chapel of the Roses, 1225 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa.
Funeral services are planned for Sunday at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses, 2500 Patio Court, in Santa Rosa. A viewing from 1 to 2¬p.m. is to be followed by services from 2 to 4 p.m.
18-year-old choral student was driving back to college in Iowa from a friend's Minnesota home
By Jeremy Hay
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 5:54 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 at 2:58 a.m.
A Santa Rosa teenager died Sunday night after the car she and four friends were in crashed on a rain-drenched Iowa highway while driving back to school after their Thanksgiving holiday.
Jessica Cooper, 18, graduated from Montgomery High School in June, then followed her passion for jazz singing to the School for Music Vocations at Southwestern Community College, in Creston, Iowa.
She was driving back to school from Minnesota, where she'd spent Thanksgiving with a roommate's family, when she lost control on Interstate 35, north of Des Moines, said her mother, Mary Greathouse, of Santa Rosa.
Cooper overcorrected while trying to regain control of her car, a 1988 Buick, and was ejected as the car rolled six times, the Iowa State Patrol said. Four passengers suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries in the 6:30 p.m. crash.
Initial reports that one of the passengers also was from Santa Rosa could not be confirmed.
Cooper, a soprano who was president of Montgomery's choral program in her senior year, had loved performing since she was a child, her mother said.
"On stage, she came alive, just beaming," Greathouse said, but Cooper discovered inadvertently that singing was the type of performance she most loved.
Learning as a freshman that she could not get into the drama classes she wanted, Cooper opted for the choir classes.
"She discovered a passion for it as a freshman, and she really stuck with it," said Dana Alexander, who taught Cooper for four years as Montgomery's director of choral music.
"She had a lovely natural instrument, she had that as a gift," Alexander said of Cooper, "but she also worked very hard, and she was very passionate about her music."
Erin Sweeney, close to Cooper since they met as Montgomery freshmen, said her friend — whom she described as "a very dramatic person but always, always there when you needed her" — found a deep inner satisfaction when she sang.
"She could really be herself when she was doing it, which was something that meant a lot to her," Sweeney said. "I think it gave her a lot of confidence because she was really good at it."
Cooper, an only child, was born June 19, 1988, in Kentfield. Her mother, who raised Cooper alone, moved to Sonoma County when Cooper was an infant.
When her daughter told her she wanted to attend Southwestern Community College's nationally respected jazz singing program, Greathouse said she replied: "Make it happen."
And Cooper bent herself to the task: auditioning, practicing, practicing and practicing, and traveling alone to the school for entrance interviews.
She won a School for Music Vocations performance scholarship and, from Montgomery High, a William Barclay Scholarship for aspiring choral singers, and had recently learned that she'd won another academic grant from her college, Greathouse said.
"Whenever she'd start to slack, she'd go, ‘You know what, I don't want to do this,' " Greathouse said. "I think she understood the challenge and what it meant for her."
Greathouse and Cooper drove east in August, when she last saw her daughter.
"She couldn't wait to get there, she didn't want to do any sightseeing, she wanted to get there," Greathouse said.
A viewing is set for 4 to 8¬p.m. Saturday at Daniels' Chapel of the Roses, 1225 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa.
Funeral services are planned for Sunday at the Presbyterian Church of the Roses, 2500 Patio Court, in Santa Rosa. A viewing from 1 to 2¬p.m. is to be followed by services from 2 to 4 p.m.
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