Ida Lee Cooper

Ida Lee Cooper, a very special daughter of God, went to sleep for the last time Sunday evening, after several months of having some medical challenges. Born on October 27, 1923, in Oswalt, Love County, Oklahoma, to Lucas Leonidas and Ada Belle (Blount) Simmons Beck, Ida was the fourth of six children. Her family moved to New Mexico when she was a small child; they also lived in California. Ida was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, being the first member to be baptized in this area in 1942 and served in several callings in the Roswell 1st ward. Over the years, Ida would mail out thousands of cards, making sure that every sister was remembered on their birthday. She was a good mother and taught her children to work hard and to be honest in all things. While Ida took care of her mother Ada in her later years, she started shelling pecans by hand to keep busy and for extra money, she has shelled several tons over the years. In the later years of her life, Ida developed a hobby of making beautiful lap quilts and baby quilts. There are many babies throughout the country that have been surrounded by the love that she has sewn into her quilts. Lots of new mothers looked forward to getting a “Granny Cooper” quilt. Ida often told stories of picking cotton, vegetables and fruit in effort to support her young family. Ida worked at Palace Drug, running the fountain, bartending at The Colonial Club, carhopped at the Park-n-Eat and packed Bologna at Glover Packing Company. Before she had to retire because of health, she fought to bring the Union in at Glover Packing. Preceding Ida in death were her parents; Luke (1950) and Ada (1991); sisters: Evelyn Lorene (Rena) Simmons Rader (1971), Hazel Pearl (Jackie) Simmons Gonzales (1996), Mary Ellen Simmons Huddleston (2009); brothers: Robert Alfred Simmons (1917), and Jimmie Simmons (2011); a nephew who was raised as a brother, Paul Raymond McFarin (2014); daughter, Patricia Ann Belcher (1942); grandchildren: Mary Ann Lucart (1967), Roger Dale Cloud (1968), Wayne Lucart (1969), Erin Lea Vandeveer (1981), Rhonda Juanette Cloud Montgomery (2004), and Janiece Irene Lucart Morales (2012); great-granddaughter, Rebecca Marie Montgomery (2004). Also preceding her in death were her former husbands and the fathers of her children: Albert Marshall Belcher (1992), Robert Dale Monroe (2010) and Leon Fredrick Cooper (1981). Surviving Ida are daughters: Shirley Aileen Hughes and husband Deward (Johnny), Sharon Kay Lucart and husband Leslie Leon (Les); Deanna Lea Vandeveer and husband Frank Stanley (Stan); a son, Thomas Leon (Tom) Cooper and wife Glenna (Bones); grandchildren: Rosalee (Rosie) Sopher (Jesse), Robert Eugene Cloud (Kim), Odis Ray Cloud, Rodney Lewis Cloud, Randy Lamar Cloud (Melody), Allen Dale Lucart (Jaye), Janette Ilene Jerrell (Ben), Shannon Heard, Richard Harkness, Harley Harkness (Heather), Jesse Harkness, (Karen), Joshua Dee Cooper (Jana), KeriJo Ellen Rigtrup, Jeremy Frank Vandeveer and Matthew Stuart Vendeveer. Also surviving Ida are her forty great-grandchildren and twenty-one great-great-grandchildren; a special niece, Dorothy Inez Sanchez Green and numerous nieces and nephews. A viewing will be held on Friday, May 1, 2015, from 9:00 – 11:00 AM at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A funeral service will follow at 11:00 AM and burial at South Park Cemetery. Bishop Phil Davis will officiate. Pallbearers will be Derrick Hendricks, Robert Cloud, Allen Lucart, Richard Harkness, Jeremy Vandeveer, Matthew Vandeveer and James Montgomery. Honorary pallbearers will be John Hughes, Les Lucart, Stan Vandeveer; grandsons: Jesse Sopher, Ray Cloud, Rodney Cloud, Randy Cloud, Ben Jerrell, Harley Harkness, Jesse Harness and Josh Cooper. Please take a moment to share your thoughts and memories of Ida with her family in the online register at andersonbethany.com Services are under the direction of Anderson-Bethany Funeral Home and Crematory.

Ida Lee Cooper

October 27, 1923 - April 26, 2015