Our mother was a lighthouse. The enormity of her heart was a beacon to wayward and suffering souls and she gave generously of herself to them. Merry was born on December 24, 1952 in Crawfordsville, Indiana.
We lost Merry Cooper to the Next World Friday, October 26, 2018. She wanted a funny obituary, but without her light it will take time to find the humor in losing her. Merry was born and raised in Crawfordsville Indiana, where she was very active in the community.
When she wasn’t performing on-stage, she could be found canoeing down Sugar Creek, camping, fishing, or volunteering with youth organizations. She was a skilled outdoors woman. She will be remembered for her love, generosity, and stewardship of nature.
Merry attended Indiana University, where she met her best friend and husband of 44 years, Randall Cooper or “Ran” as she called him. She and Randy returned to Crawfordsville upon graduation. Together, they had 2 daughters, Annie Gasway (Casey) and Abby Jessie (Matthew), and a son, Joe Cooper (Christine Beckwith).
The family moved to Walkerton in 1997. While in Walkerton, Merry was the director of Our Little Angels Daycare Ministry from 1999-2013. She often sacrificed her own pay to provide financial assistance to hard-working families who were struggling to make ends meet.
More recently, Merry’s attention turned to her six grandchildren: Cooper, Will, and Joe Gasway, Alyx and Luke Jessie, and Benjamin Cooper. She leaves behind many friends, a large and growing family and a legacy of kindness. In addition to her husband, children and grandchildren, she is survived by two of her sisters, Patti Shutte (Dave) of Waukesha, Wisconsin, and Katy Myers (Ric) of Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Merry was preceded in death by her parents, James and Marianne Ebenholtz, and her oldest sister, Christine Finiak. Her visitation will be at Palmer Funeral Home, 202 N. Main Street, North Liberty, IN on Friday, November 2, 2018 from 1-2:30 pm. Her Funeral Mass will follow at 3:00 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 810 Tyler Street, Walkerton, Indiana with a dinner and Celebration of Life immediately after in the Parish Hall (located in the basement of the building formerly housing St. Patrick’school).
A Memorial Mass will also be held on Saturday, November 3rd, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, 1306 E. Main Street, Crawfordsville, IN with the graveside service following at Calvary Cemetery in Crawfordsville Indiana. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22478, Oklahoma City, OK 73123. Online condolences may be offered to the Cooper family at www.
palmerfuneralhomes.com. Donations may be made to: American Cancer Society P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City OK 73123 Tel: 1-800-227-2345 Web: www. cancer.org/involved/donate/memorial-giving.
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