Gertrude E. Cooper

3/3/1921 — 12/5/2020

Service Date: 12/16/2020
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Gertrude Elizabeth Moneymaker Cooper, “Trudy” or “Gert,” 99, passed away Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020, in Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Trudy was born March 3, 1921, the fourth of 13 children born to Ora and Elizabeth (Mertens) Moneymaker in Genesee. She was baptized at St. Mary’s Church in Genesee. She enjoyed music club, acting, and debate in high school and after high school. She worked as a switchboard operator at General Hospital, a receptionist in a doctor’s office, worked for the telephone company and drove a Greyhound bus during WWII. Trudy brought her hard work and enthusiasm to all of her work and her life.

Gertrude was a very talented seamstress, cake decorator, pianist/organist and was an amazing embroiderer. She made lovely baptismal gowns, first Communion dresses, flower girl dresses and beautiful wedding dresses for her family. She enjoyed creating beautiful vestments for priests and even made costumes for the Catholic school drama productions.

Trudy was a wonderful wife, mom, grandma, great-grandma, great-great-grandma, aunt and godmother to many and loved spending time with her family. She loved to make others laugh and smile. She was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Clarkston and was a third-order Carmelite. Her deeply held Catholic faith was the foundation of her life. Trudy had a huge heart and always wanted to help others in any way she could. She would always tell friends and family that she was praying for them and made rosaries that she would give to missionaries and to her relatives and friends. She would join her siblings every day at 5 to pray the rosary. She also enjoyed being a Eucharistic minister and would bring Holy Communion to the sick and homebound.

She married George Cooper on June 6, 1975. They made a great team and enjoyed traveling to visit family across the country. They met while ballroom dancing in Seattle and took great care of each other. Trudy was very devoted to her husband and family, and she will live forever in our hearts.

Trudy is survived by three siblings, Ted Moneymaker, Doris Perry and Dennis Moneymaker; one daughter, Julie; three stepdaughters, Barbara Cooper Hellekson, Kathryn Cooper King (Steve) and Carol Cooper Seymour; three grandchildren, Steve (Marcie) Stacy, Mark Stacy, Carolyn Stacy; and 12 stepgrandchildren Brian (Melanie) Scott, David (Melissa) Roach, Christopher (Kelly) Roach, Jeffrey (Jessica) Roach, Sarah (Kyle) Ogletree, Rebekah Roach (Anthony Bohrn), Daniel (Alicia) Roach, Peter Roach (Tinley Garey), Samuel (Kami) Roach, Derek Seymour, Ian Seymour, Rob Seymour, Paul Seymour and Diana Stroppel; 29 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren; and more than 50 cherished nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ora and Elizabeth Moneymaker; spouse, George Cooper; son, Bernard (Bernie) Stacy; five sisters, Margaret Ann, Ora, Marietta, Norma and Joan; four brothers, William, John, Raymond and Richard; and Harold Hellekson; and many aunts, uncles, grandparents, family and friends.

She had an incredible, steadfast faith and wanted to help those who needed it the most. Please consider a memorial to Catholic Charities or Holy Family Catholic Church in her honor.

A public viewing and rosary will take place at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home in Lewiston. Masks are required. Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Holy Family Catholic Parish in Clarkston. Burial will follow at St. Boniface Cemetery in Uniontown. The rosary and funeral service will be livestreamed through the Vassar-Rawls Funeral Home Facebook page: www.facebook.com/vassarrawlsfh/?rf=435052033334532.

Service Information

Date & Time: Wednesday, December 16, 11:00 AM
Location: Holy Family Catholic Church
1109 Chestnut Street
Clarkston, Washington 99403

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Additional Details: Rosary to be held on Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. at the funeral home.