Margaret Fouse Cooper

Margaret was raised on a Wyoming ranch in the Clarks Fork Valley near Cody in the shadow of the Beartooth mountains. She often rode her horse and best friend to the country school. Life on the ranch developed her love of all animals (except for snakes), gardening, and nature.

She was married to R.O. Cooper from 1949 to 1977. She nurtured and supported her children’s endeavors into adulthood and then she stood beside them sharing in their joys and sorrows. Having a child in every time zone afforded her the opportunity to travel from coast to coast and to Europe. Through daily emails and photos, she reached out to family and friends until a few days before her death.

Nursing was her calling. She worked at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena for 31 years. She was dedicated to excellent compassionate patient care. The needs of her patients came first, she was there for her patients and their families to offer comfort during long dark nights. She was the unofficial nurse advisor for her whole neighborhood.

She was an avid organic gardener before it was considered “in”. Many Sunday drives with her children involved collecting “brown ore” from the south side of cattle and sheep. She brewed “compost tea” for her roses. The beautiful roses, gladiolas, and vegetables were shared with neighbors and friends.

Following retirement, Cooper pursued her passion for genealogy. She compiled a mountain of information gleaned through interviews, cemetery visits, and searching records.

She loved to “follow her nose”. She always carried treats for her furry friends. She gallivanted on Helena’s mountain roads and made sure all bottles, cans, and trash were picked up and brought to the recycle center. When she no longer had her own garden, she tended the perennials on the graves of her friends and patients at Forestvale Cemetery in Helena.

She is survived by her children: Kenneth Cooper of Eugene, OR; Karen Grivette (Barry) of Hoyt Lakes, MN; Christine Prymak of Blackstone, MA; and Kimberly Cooper of Colorado Springs, CO; six grandchildren and five great grandchildren. She added many branches to the family tree.

A private family interment of Margaret’s ashes will be in the Fouse family plot in Belfry, MT. Memorial donations may be made to the Lewis and Clark Humane Society.