Mr. Dale Ogden Cooper, age 85, of Walkerville, passed away Wednesday, July 3, 2013. He was born September 8, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois, to James and Lucile (Haswell) Cooper. He was a 1946 graduate of Walkerville High School and served in the United States Army during the Korean War. He married Virginia M. Starkey in Honor, Michigan on September 30, 1950; they were married sixty-two years. Mr. Cooper was a farmer and was employed as a sanitation worker at Gerber Baby Foods until his retirement in 1989. He was a longtime member of Walkerville Wesleyan Church where he served as song leader and youth leader.

Dale is survived by his wife, Virginia Cooper; two daughters, Dawn (Bill) Ross of Shelby, and Rachel (Jeff) Iteen of Hart; six sons, Dennis (Denice Erbs) Cooper of Grant, Keith (Debbie) Cooper of Jenison, Craig (Linda) Cooper of Walkerville, Mark (Rosemary) Cooper of Perrysburg, Ohio, Gary (Jody) Cooper of Adrian, and Peter (Robin Hallgren) Cooper of El Paso, Texas; twenty-three grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren, with one on the way; three brothers, Enos (Edith) Cooper of Sanford, Florida, Gene (Charlene) Cooper of Warren, Michigan, and Lyle Cooper of Tulsa, Oklahoma; and a half-sister, Anne Lewandowski. He was preceded in death by his parents and four siblings, June, Wayne, Kent, and Evan Cooper.

The Memorial Service for Mr. Cooper will be Sunday, July 14, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., at Walkerville Wesleyan Church with Rev. Bob Abbott officiating. Interment will be in Carpenter Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. The family requests that any memorials be directed to Walkerville Wesleyan Church Building Fund, 144 S. Hamon St., Walkerville, MI 49455.

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