Don A. Cooper, 92, of Great Falls, an Army veteran and retired maintenance worker for the Montana Highway Department, died of natural causes Oct. 8 at a local care facility.
Don was born Archie Don Cooper on May 24, 1917, the third of five children born to Robertie M. "Bert" and Leda Ray Cooper in Sidney, Mont. His father passed away when he was 3, and his mother was able to keep the family together while she was pregnant with his youngest sister. He had polio as a youth and, with his mother's hard work, survived the crippling disease.
He left Sidney with the National Guard and came to Great Falls, where he met the love of his life, Lois I. Bruce. In September 1940, his unit was activated to federal service. The Army changed his name to Don A. Cooper. In 1942, he was shipped to New Guinea in the South Pacific, where he served as a medic with the 116th Medical Squadron for 27 months. Upon returning to the states, he was sent to Abilene, Texas, to recover from malaria. He brought Lois to Texas by train, and they were married Sept. 22, 1944. They returned to Great Falls and, in November 1945, his first son was born, and in July 1950, his youngest son was born.
Don was a hard worker all of his life. He held numerous jobs, including a grocery store clerk in Sidney, and service station attendant and manager in Great Falls. He was a traveling salesman, worked for the Great Falls Sanitation Department and retired in 1997 as a maintenance worker for the Montana Highway Department. He was really a jack of all trades.
Don was involved in many different organizations and activities during his life. He was a Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America and a leader of the Marine Corps League Junior Rifle Club. He was a life member of the Great Falls Saddle Club and the VFW Post 1087. He also was a member of the Cascade County Sheriff's Posse and the Great Falls Elks Lodge 214. Don, Bud Campbell and Dr. David McKay brought the Monte Forman Riding/Training Clinic to Great Falls for several years.
Don's hobbies included riding/training horses to compete in O-Mok-See's (games on horseback), Western polo, team roping and horse shows. Don also enjoyed playing cribbage and pinochle, bowling, shooting pool and gardening.
Don is survived by two sons, five grandsons and two great-grandsons, two sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois B. Cooper, in 2005; his parents; a brother, Ray (Vera) Cooper; a sister, Edna "Etta" (Art) Delamore; brothers-in-law John W. Hess, Herb (Dorothy) Bruce and C.H. "Pete" Peterson, mother- and father-in-law George and Esther Bruce; sister-in-law Lucille (James) Fritche; and special family friends Doug and Nikki Mills.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune 12-20-2009
Don was born Archie Don Cooper on May 24, 1917, the third of five children born to Robertie M. "Bert" and Leda Ray Cooper in Sidney, Mont. His father passed away when he was 3, and his mother was able to keep the family together while she was pregnant with his youngest sister. He had polio as a youth and, with his mother's hard work, survived the crippling disease.
He left Sidney with the National Guard and came to Great Falls, where he met the love of his life, Lois I. Bruce. In September 1940, his unit was activated to federal service. The Army changed his name to Don A. Cooper. In 1942, he was shipped to New Guinea in the South Pacific, where he served as a medic with the 116th Medical Squadron for 27 months. Upon returning to the states, he was sent to Abilene, Texas, to recover from malaria. He brought Lois to Texas by train, and they were married Sept. 22, 1944. They returned to Great Falls and, in November 1945, his first son was born, and in July 1950, his youngest son was born.
Don was a hard worker all of his life. He held numerous jobs, including a grocery store clerk in Sidney, and service station attendant and manager in Great Falls. He was a traveling salesman, worked for the Great Falls Sanitation Department and retired in 1997 as a maintenance worker for the Montana Highway Department. He was really a jack of all trades.
Don was involved in many different organizations and activities during his life. He was a Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America and a leader of the Marine Corps League Junior Rifle Club. He was a life member of the Great Falls Saddle Club and the VFW Post 1087. He also was a member of the Cascade County Sheriff's Posse and the Great Falls Elks Lodge 214. Don, Bud Campbell and Dr. David McKay brought the Monte Forman Riding/Training Clinic to Great Falls for several years.
Don's hobbies included riding/training horses to compete in O-Mok-See's (games on horseback), Western polo, team roping and horse shows. Don also enjoyed playing cribbage and pinochle, bowling, shooting pool and gardening.
Don is survived by two sons, five grandsons and two great-grandsons, two sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois B. Cooper, in 2005; his parents; a brother, Ray (Vera) Cooper; a sister, Edna "Etta" (Art) Delamore; brothers-in-law John W. Hess, Herb (Dorothy) Bruce and C.H. "Pete" Peterson, mother- and father-in-law George and Esther Bruce; sister-in-law Lucille (James) Fritche; and special family friends Doug and Nikki Mills.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune 12-20-2009
Don A. Cooper, 92, of Great Falls, an Army veteran and retired maintenance worker for the Montana Highway Department, died of natural causes Oct. 8 at a local care facility.
Don was born Archie Don Cooper on May 24, 1917, the third of five children born to Robertie M. "Bert" and Leda Ray Cooper in Sidney, Mont. His father passed away when he was 3, and his mother was able to keep the family together while she was pregnant with his youngest sister. He had polio as a youth and, with his mother's hard work, survived the crippling disease.
He left Sidney with the National Guard and came to Great Falls, where he met the love of his life, Lois I. Bruce. In September 1940, his unit was activated to federal service. The Army changed his name to Don A. Cooper. In 1942, he was shipped to New Guinea in the South Pacific, where he served as a medic with the 116th Medical Squadron for 27 months. Upon returning to the states, he was sent to Abilene, Texas, to recover from malaria. He brought Lois to Texas by train, and they were married Sept. 22, 1944. They returned to Great Falls and, in November 1945, his first son was born, and in July 1950, his youngest son was born.
Don was a hard worker all of his life. He held numerous jobs, including a grocery store clerk in Sidney, and service station attendant and manager in Great Falls. He was a traveling salesman, worked for the Great Falls Sanitation Department and retired in 1997 as a maintenance worker for the Montana Highway Department. He was really a jack of all trades.
Don was involved in many different organizations and activities during his life. He was a Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America and a leader of the Marine Corps League Junior Rifle Club. He was a life member of the Great Falls Saddle Club and the VFW Post 1087. He also was a member of the Cascade County Sheriff's Posse and the Great Falls Elks Lodge 214. Don, Bud Campbell and Dr. David McKay brought the Monte Forman Riding/Training Clinic to Great Falls for several years.
Don's hobbies included riding/training horses to compete in O-Mok-See's (games on horseback), Western polo, team roping and horse shows. Don also enjoyed playing cribbage and pinochle, bowling, shooting pool and gardening.
Don is survived by two sons, five grandsons and two great-grandsons, two sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois B. Cooper, in 2005; his parents; a brother, Ray (Vera) Cooper; a sister, Edna "Etta" (Art) Delamore; brothers-in-law John W. Hess, Herb (Dorothy) Bruce and C.H. "Pete" Peterson, mother- and father-in-law George and Esther Bruce; sister-in-law Lucille (James) Fritche; and special family friends Doug and Nikki Mills.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune 12-20-2009
Don was born Archie Don Cooper on May 24, 1917, the third of five children born to Robertie M. "Bert" and Leda Ray Cooper in Sidney, Mont. His father passed away when he was 3, and his mother was able to keep the family together while she was pregnant with his youngest sister. He had polio as a youth and, with his mother's hard work, survived the crippling disease.
He left Sidney with the National Guard and came to Great Falls, where he met the love of his life, Lois I. Bruce. In September 1940, his unit was activated to federal service. The Army changed his name to Don A. Cooper. In 1942, he was shipped to New Guinea in the South Pacific, where he served as a medic with the 116th Medical Squadron for 27 months. Upon returning to the states, he was sent to Abilene, Texas, to recover from malaria. He brought Lois to Texas by train, and they were married Sept. 22, 1944. They returned to Great Falls and, in November 1945, his first son was born, and in July 1950, his youngest son was born.
Don was a hard worker all of his life. He held numerous jobs, including a grocery store clerk in Sidney, and service station attendant and manager in Great Falls. He was a traveling salesman, worked for the Great Falls Sanitation Department and retired in 1997 as a maintenance worker for the Montana Highway Department. He was really a jack of all trades.
Don was involved in many different organizations and activities during his life. He was a Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America and a leader of the Marine Corps League Junior Rifle Club. He was a life member of the Great Falls Saddle Club and the VFW Post 1087. He also was a member of the Cascade County Sheriff's Posse and the Great Falls Elks Lodge 214. Don, Bud Campbell and Dr. David McKay brought the Monte Forman Riding/Training Clinic to Great Falls for several years.
Don's hobbies included riding/training horses to compete in O-Mok-See's (games on horseback), Western polo, team roping and horse shows. Don also enjoyed playing cribbage and pinochle, bowling, shooting pool and gardening.
Don is survived by two sons, five grandsons and two great-grandsons, two sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lois B. Cooper, in 2005; his parents; a brother, Ray (Vera) Cooper; a sister, Edna "Etta" (Art) Delamore; brothers-in-law John W. Hess, Herb (Dorothy) Bruce and C.H. "Pete" Peterson, mother- and father-in-law George and Esther Bruce; sister-in-law Lucille (James) Fritche; and special family friends Doug and Nikki Mills.
Complete obituary published in Great Falls Tribune 12-20-2009
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