Shirley J. Cooper, 84, Minneapolis, passed away Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Ottawa County Health Center, Minneapolis. She was born December 1, 1929 on a farm south of Miltonvale to Harold and Neva (Condray) Comfort.

Shirley attended Miltonvale schools, graduating high school in 1947. On March 3, 1948 she and Darrel Cooper were united in marriage. They were married 59 years before he preceded her in death on May 11, 2007. Shirley was a devoted farm wife and always was alongside her husband in the fields. Shirley was a seamstress who made clothes for her children and grandchildren. In later years, she substituted at the Wells Post Office, worked the Ottawa County Election Board, delivered flowers for Keith's Floral, and worked part time at Keith's Greenhouse in Wells.

Survivors include her children Randy Cooper and his wife Sue; Susan Reed and her husband Roger, Sandy Cline and her husband Kevin all of Minneapolis, and Karen Boydston and her husband Layne of Gardner; 13 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.


Graveside services for family and close friends will be at 9:30 A.M., Saturday, December 14 at the Bennington Cemetery. Memorial services will follow at 11:00 A.M. at Wilson Family Funeral Home, Minneapolis. Visitation will be from 2 P.M. to 8 P.M. Friday at the funeral home where the family will receive friends from 5:00 to 6:30 P.M. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Ada United Methodist Church, Central Kansas Flywheels Yesteryear Museum, or the Ottawa County Service Corporation (Ottawa County Carnival) and may be left in care of the funeral home.