Montezuma County CO Archives Obituaries.....Cooper, Helena May October 5, 2001 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/co/cofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Tom Vaughn wr@fone.net November 5, 2001 Helena May Cooper Helena May Baer was born to Emil Frederick Baer and Myrtle May Mitchell on March 28, 1917, in Rico, Colo., where the family lived for many years. Emil was also born in Rico in 1883 and Myrtle, his second wife, was born in Blossburg, N.M., in 1893. They were married in Rico Nov. 30, 1916. Helen had a half-brother, Murray Baer, from Emil1s first marriage, who preceded her in death. She enjoyed growing up in Rico, and thought it was a wonderful place to live. She played the saxophone in the school band and enjoyed the mountains around Rico and southwest Colordo until the time of her death. As a child she enjoyed tea parties with her closest friends. The family moved to Mancos in 1933 when she was 16 years old. It was there that she met Charles Edwin 'Jack' Cooper. She briefly attended a business college in Denver during the fall of 1936, but quit when she and Jack were married on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 1936. Jack's brother Sam talked them into going to Pennsylvania to work with him in 1939, but they didn't stay long and soon moved back to Mintern, Colo. Charles 'Barry' was born in 1940 in Cortez in the Baer family home. Soon after, Sam once again talked them into moving back east, this time to Cambria, Va. In 1941, Jack went to work for the TVA and after the start of the war at the AEC plant in Oak Ridge, Tenn. At the time they were not aware that the plant was making enriched uranium for the first atomic weapons. It was while they were living at Oak Ridge that Robert 'Bob' Emil was born in 1943 at Harriman, Tenn. After the war they moved back to Colorado where, during the summer months, Jack worked as a heavy-duty mechanic for Larson Construction Co. and Colorado Construction Co. on much of what is now the present-day alignment of the road between Durango and Silverton. During the winters, they lived in and around Denver. Just before Thanksgiving 1950, they moved back to Mancos and operated the Gateway Garage and Service Station in partnership with Marvin and Aldena Bashor. The Bashors were bought out by Howard and Doris Thompson, who eventually sold their half to Jack and Helen. Debra 'Debbie'Sue was born in 1954. It was only a little more than a year later that Jack died of cancer in June 1956. Helen went to work as the school superintendent's secretary for four years and worked during the summers as a waitress at Point Lookout at the entrance of Mesa Verde National Park between Cortez and Mancos. The old-timers remembered it as Hallerville. Jack's sister, Mary Kelly, and her daughter, Jean Bader, took care of Debbie while Helen worked and kept a loose eye on Barry and Bob. In reality, the entire extended Cooper family and the community played a part in helping Helen raise her family. In 1960, she went to work at the Montezuma County Treasurer's office, became Deputy Treasurer and eventually was elected to one term as County Treasurer. She retired Jan. 1, 1987, but stayed for three months to train the new treasurer. Since that time, she enjoyed traveling with the senior citizens group, playing lots of contract bridge, being very involved with the Montezuma Valley Presbyterian Church and being an important part of her family's life As a young mother and wife, she liked to go dancing and even endured snowstorms and bad roads just so she could go to the next dance. She was an avid reader until she lost most of her sight and then enjoyed listening to books on tape provided by the Colorado Talking Book Library. On Oct. 5, 2001, she passed quietly and peacefully from this life and went home to be with her Lord and all those who have gone before. She is survived by her three children: Barry and Martha Cooper of Aztec, N.M.; Bob and Jackie Cooper of Bend, Ore.; Debbie and Rob Kennedy of Yellow Jacket. She is also survived by six grandchildren whom she was very proud of and loved dearly: Randy Cooper of Portland, Ore.; Cathy and Colin Donohue of Seattle, Wash.; Charles Joseph Cooper of Key Largo, Fla.; Tamitha Cooper of Aztec; and Adam Kennedy and Ryan Kennedy of Yellow Jacket, Colo. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Colorado Talking Book Library, 180 Sheridan Blvd., Denver, CO 80226. -- Tom Vaughan, Editor The Mancos Times-Tribune Serving the beautiful Mancos Valley since 1892 P.O. Box 987, Mancos, CO 81328 (970) 533-7766 (970) 565-8527 thomasv@cortezjournal.com fax (970) 565-8532 File located at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/montezuma/obits/c/cooper.txt