Mary Cooper Obituary

Mary Agnes Cooper, 102, of Canistota, SD passed away peacefully July 13, 2025 at Edgewood Assisted Living, Sioux Falls. Celebration of Life service will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, July 18, at United Church of Canistota.
To view a livestream of the service, click the following link: http://www.youtube.com/@unitedchurchofcanistota5727
Mary, daughter of Everett and Agnes (Jesse) Rose, was born on March 4, 1923 near Monroe, South Dakota. As a child, she moved with her family to rural Canistota in 1927 and then into the town of Canistota in the Spring of 1930 during First Grade. Mary attended Canistota Public School, First Grade through High School, graduating from Canistota High School in 1941.
After graduation, she attended Eastern South Dakota State Normal School in Madison where she obtained a First Grade Teaching Certificate and taught at rural schools in McCook County for fourteen and one-half years. Mary continued with evening and summer classes and received her Two Year Certificate in 1957 and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education in 1964, both from General Beadle State Teachers College, now Dakota State University, in Madison. She began teaching First Grade at Canistota Public School in the fall of 1959, teaching in the same room where she attended First and Second Grades. Mary taught for 29 years at Canistota and retired in 1988.
On March 18, 1944 she married Leonard K. Cooper in Vermillion, SD. Leonard was also a 1941 CHS graduate and local farmer. They farmed in the Canistota area until Leonard passed away August 20, 1983, and Mary moved into the town of Canistota in the fall of 1983. She then lived in the same home until the summer of 2024 when she moved to Assisted Living in Sioux Falls at the age of 101.
Mary was baptized and joined the First Presbyterian Church of Canistota at a young age and has remained a member of United Church of Canistota during her lifetime. She enjoyed attending Sunday School and later taught Sunday School and Bible School. She also sang in the choir. After retirement, she enjoyed volunteering on various committees at United Church of Canistota and at the Good Samaritan Center in Canistota.
Mary was honored to be a part of the Community Committee for planning the new school building which was completed in 2002. Mary and her sister Ada were honored to be Grand Marshals of the Sport Days Parade in 2019.
Those grateful for having shared Mary's life are her daughter, Rose Mary Morrow; grandchildren, Steven (Kerri) Morrow and Kimberly (Gene) Beaner; four great-granddaughters, Heather (Tim) Carlson, Ashley (Ethan) Thies, Melody (Kyle) Bungert, and Stephany (Timothy) Cheng; four great-great granddaughters, Berkeley Rose and Molly Adaline Thies, Apricity Rose Cheng, and Grace Marie Carlson. She was looking forward to the birth of two more great-great grandchildren in September – Baby Boy Carlson and Baby Girl Bungert. Being the Matriarch of five generations was an honor for her.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents, husband Leonard, son-in-law Roger Morrow, brother Forrest, and four sisters - Joy, Jessie, Loella and Ada.
Mary was grateful and blessed to have been a part of the Canistota Community and United Church of Canistota for nearly her whole lifetime.
Mary's family would like to give a special thanks to the staff at Edgewood Assisted Living East and the AseraCare Hospice team for their special care during this time.
Memorials in Mary's honor may be directed to United Church of Canistota Building Fund or the charity of your choice.
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