Shirley was born in Lead, in the Black Hills of South Dakota to Marion Mathew Wilson and Edith Estes Wilson on January 12th, 1927. She lived in Rapid City until she was 16 when her family relocated to Fort Morgan, Colorado where Marion was the President of REA. She attended 11th and 12th grades at Fort Morgan High, graduating in 1945. She attended CSU in Fort Collins, joined Tri Delta Sorority, and was proud to be an “Aggie!” She played her saxophone in the marching band, as she had in high school.
She met Samuel Wilbur Cooper V at CSU, (then known as Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts), and they married on March 20th, 1949. He was a civil engineer with Peter Kiwitt and worked on various projects around the country. She always made a great adventure of it, and made friends wherever she moved. Their daughter Sheryl Ann Cooper was born in 1953 in Columbus, Ohio. Their adventures eventually led them to Abquaiq and Dhahran Saudi Arabia with the Arabian American Oil Company, known as Aramco. Their son Samuel Wilbur Cooper VI (Scott) was born in Dhahran in 1957. They circumnavigated the world twice and their travels were always her most cherished memories. After moving back to America, they settled down in Greeley, Colorado where Sam established the SW Cooper Construction Company.
In later years, she was married to Christopher N. Thorman for 10 years before his death in 1981. He was a retired major with the RAF. They resided in Greeley.
Shirley was a strong woman who grew up during the Great Depression and WWII. She never forgot her roots or values. She grew up in a different era, embraced the new, but cherished the old. She was a member of Eastern Star, Rainbow Girls, Job’s Daughters, Crescent Club, and several bridge clubs. She had a strong faith in God, and attended The First Congregational Church. She loved her home on 21st Avenue, the Black Hills, horses, flowers, mountains, picnics, reading, dancing, cooking and collecting recipes. She was a great entertainer who loved hosting elegant parties. She loved chocolate, china, jewelry, the color pink, holidays, decorating, and French furniture. She was an animal lover and devoted to her pets She loved Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and all the old greats of her era. She was a very patriotic American and a proud member of the Republican party. She taught us all etiquette, and loved a Perfect Manhattan. She always kept in touch with dear friends and family. She was quite remarkable, one of a kind, and will be greatly missed by all who loved her.
She is survived by her daughter, Sheryl Ann Cooper Allmon of Greeley, CO; and her 3 grandchildren who call her Grammy: Michell Edith Cooper of Greeley, CO, Hunter Cooper Allmon (Lexi) of Durango, CO, and Kyla Skye Allmon Hensley (Kyle) of Fayetteville, NC. She was preceded in death by her son Scott Cooper of Greeley, CO.
A celebration of life will be held from 2-4:30 pm, Friday, May 7, 2021 at Kenny’s Steakhouse in Greeley. Private family interment will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Please share your fond memories and condolences at www.StoddardSunset.com
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