Hazel M (Bennett) Cooper

Hazel Maxine Cooper, 88 of Newton passed away Friday, December 7, 2018 at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines. A celebration of remembrance will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 12, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Newton. The family will greet friends from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service on Wednesday at the church.  Following the services, there will be a lunch at the church. Memorials to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church may be left at the church the morning of the service or at the Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory.

Hazel, the daughter of Harry Guy and Grace (Wynn) Bennett, was born June 11, 1930 in Marshalltown.  She grew up in Gilman and graduated from high school there in 1947.  After business school, Hazel worked at KFJB radio in Marshalltown before being united in marriage with Floyd Cooper on October 25, 1953. Hazel raised her three children before re-joining the work force in 1977 at the Newton Daily News.  Being legally blind did not stop Hazel from walking three miles a day and walking into town 2-3 days a week for groceries and appointments. Newton residents often saw her walking in shorts and ball cap in the Summer and a snowsuit in the Winter.

Those left to honor her memory are her daughter, Julie (Rick) Malone of West Des Moines; son, Clayton (Charlotte) Cooper of North Liberty; granddaughter, Whitney Wilcox (Jeff Henderson); grandson, Benjamin Wilcox (Chloe Janesky); step-grandchildren, Josh (Chris) Malone and Lindsay (Brandan) Neff; five great-grandchildren; and her nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Floyd; son, Douglas; and half-sisters, Freda Rhodes and Eloise Bulfer.

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