Henrietta Marie Cooper

Henrietta Marie Cooper, 89, of Liberty, MO passed away on Nov. 9, 2023. She was born on May 16, 1934, to Henry and Gertrude Galbrecht at their home in Bosworth, MO. She and her older sister Catherine were raised on the farm and had a very happy childhood. Neighbors would get together during the winter months for dances, fish fries, and card parties. She enjoyed helping her dad with the outdoor chores including milking their 15 cows, picking corn and cutting wheat and oats with a binder. She even helped with the threshing process!

Henrietta attended elementary school for a few years at East Brown Country School. She graduated from Bosworth High School in 1951 with a wonderful group of classmates who remained good friends. They met for class reunions every other year. After graduation, Henrietta agreed to help her mom and dad with their restaurant called the City Café in Bosworth. After one year she and a friend ventured to Kansas City, MO and worked for BMA.

Not too long after moving to the city, Henrietta and George Cooper dated and fell in love. George was raised in Carrollton, MO, just 20 miles from Bosworth. The couple married on Nov. 20, 1953, in Kansas City, MO. They also made their home in KC where George worked road construction.

George and Henrietta were blessed with the birth of twin boys on May 18, 1954. Donald Lee and Ronald Lynn became big brothers to Alvin Wayne 10 1/2 years later on Nov. 29, 1963. The family spent a lot of time down at the grandparents’ farm in Bosworth, especially during the winter months when George wasn’t working. George and Henrietta had a very special 50th Wedding Anniversary at the Chandler Baptist Church in Liberty. It was well attended by many dear friends and family members.

Besides being a homemaker keeping George and their boys fed and cared for and getting the boys to their games and many practices in various sports, she also cleaned homes for other people for several years. When George and Henrietta built their first house, Henrietta was the builder’s only assistant. The builder was George’s dad, Elvin Cooper.

Henrietta was dedicated to George and her entire family. She and George were always ready and willing to help out with moves, remodeling, building projects, and the list goes on. They enjoyed watching their grandkids’ ballgames of various kinds, but Henrietta especially enjoyed basketball. She loved the road trips that she and George took and kept detailed scrapbooks of handwritten records and photos of their travels.

Family Genealogy became an important focus for Henrietta several years ago. She documented family records in thick 3-ring binders for each of the four family groups: Cooper, Burkhardt, Galbrecht and Denker.

Henrietta enjoyed gardening, both flowers and vegetables, along with mowing and yard work. She excelled at basket-weaving and quilting. She also enjoyed embroidery, cross-stitch and crochet. She was able to amass enough home-made quilts for each of her kids and grandkids.

For many years Henrietta attended water aerobics swim class at William Jewel College and later at the Liberty Senior Center three or four days per week. She also managed to do 100 bobs after each class! She made many good friends at the pool over the years. They would also eat lunch together one day a week and even enjoy an afternoon of bunko.

Baptized at a young age, Henrietta grew up in the Bosworth Christian Church. Together, she and George attended the Chandler Baptist Church in Liberty. She also belonged to the Mary and Martha Sunday School Class.

Henrietta is survived by her three sons and their wives: Don and Peggy, Columbia, MO; Ron and Kay, Fair Grove, MO; and Al and Jeannine, Edgerton, MO. She also leaves behind six grandchildren and their spouses, 18 great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild. She was proud of her family. They were very important to her along with her many close friends, neighbors, and cousins.

Henrietta was preceded in death by her loving husband George. She was ready go to heaven to be with Jesus, George, her parents, her sister Catherine, sisters-in-law Nicy and Poke, Cousins Judy, Duane, and Fred and many other special friends and relatives.

Henrietta’s funeral services will be on Sat., Nov. 18, 2023, at Church-Archer-Pasley Funeral Home, 119 E. Franklin St. in Liberty, MO. Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m., and the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. with Rev. Pat Gorsett officiating. Burial will be conducted by Rev. Pat Gorsett at the Carrollton Oak Hill Cemetery in Carrollton, MO at 2:30 p.m.