Raymond H. Cooper

Raymond Harold Cooper, 89, of Clear Lake, died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, at Concord Care Center, in Garner, Iowa.

A family funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017, at Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, 101 N. 4th St., Clear Lake, with Dennis Ganz officiating.  Burial will be in Mount Vernon Township Cemetery, south of Clear Lake.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Family suggests memorial contributions to the Clear Lake VFW Post 4868 or Christmas Cheer Fund in Mason City.

Raymond was born July 10, 1928, the son of Dan and Matilda (Kreymborg) Cooper, in Primghar, Iowa.  He married Joyce “Pat” J. Pierce on June 9, 1950, and to that union four children were born.

He was later married to Jan Bradley for 20 years.

A graduate of Primghar High School, Raymond attended Iowa State Teachers College, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he earned a master’s degree in Mathematics and Physics.  His teaching career was spent in Ida Grove, Iowa, Spencer, Iowa, and John Adams Junior High School, in Mason City.  Before retiring from teaching he started farming south of Clear Lake.

Raymond was a member of the First Congregational Church, in Clear Lake, Clear Lake Noon Lions Club, and Reading Buddies at Clear Creek Elementary School, in Clear Lake.  He liked to hunt pheasant and deer and enjoyed skiing, traveling all over the world, including Hawaii for many winters, and woodworking.  He was a very giving man that truly enjoyed his career and always donated to the Christmas Cheer Fund in Mason City.

Raymond is survived by four children, Cathy (Curtis) Krieger, of Mason City, Dennis (Anne) Cooper, of Clear Lake, Deb (Paul Hudson) Cooper, of Ames, Iowa, and Pat (Steve) Lovik, of Forest City, Iowa; eight grandchildren, Cory (GiGi) Krieger, of Chicago, Ill., Calynn (Ryan Flynn) Krieger, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Paul (Kellie) Cooper, of Clear Lake, Allison (Jonathan) Klaassen, of Forest City, Evan Hudson, of Dubuque, Iowa, Tess Hudson, of Ames, Nicole (Jason) Lovik-Blaser, of Forest City, and Mallory (Derek) Ziesmer, of Forest City; and 10 great-grandchildren, Ashlin, Olivia, Addison, and Owen Cooper, Trey, Cooper and Brinley Blaser, and Sam, Kate and Tess Klaassen.

He was preceded in death by his parents; first wife, Pat, in 2007; and two brothers, Leon Cooper and Clemete Cooper in infancy.

Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, was in charge of arrangements.