Indiana Marriages, 1780-1992
Harry E. Cooper
July 2, 1912 – Feb. 2, 2004
Former Knightstown resident, Harry E. Cooper, 91, of Greenfield, died Monday, February 2 in Morristown. He was born July 2, 1912 in Hancock County, the son of the late Ernest and Cora (Lukens) Cooper.
Mr. Cooper was the former owner of Cooper Sales, a farm equipment dealer in Knightstown and New Castle and was primarily a self-employed farmer. He was also a pastor for 30 years at various Friends Churches including Charlottesville Friends Church and Raysville Friends Church. He was a former board member of the White’s Institute and held various offices in the Indiana Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends Church.
He is survived by three sons, Paul Cooper and William Robert Cooper, both of Carthage, and Donald Cooper of Scottsburg; two brothers, Robert Cooper of Greenfield and Wayne Cooper of Connersville; three sisters, Kathleen Haynie of Greenfield, Maxine Gates of Shreveport, LA, and Dortha Prather of Cincinnati, OH; nine grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Thelma (Stafford) Cooper in 2000; one son, Richard Cooper; a brother, Roger Cooper; and one granddaughter, Pam Janney.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, February 7 at the Greenfield Friends Church in Greenfield with Paul Enyart officiating. Burial will be in Walnut Ridge Cemetery, Carthage.
Visitation will be held from 3-8 p.m. Thursday, February 5 at the Pasco-Stillinger Funeral Home in Greenfield.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Greenfield Friends Church, 323 W. Park Ave., Greenfield, IN 46140.
Byron Keith Ray
Mar. 29, 1932 – Feb. 5, 2004
Wilkinson resident, Byron Keith Ray, 71, died February 5 at Methodist Hospital after suffering a severe head injury from a fall. Born March 29, 1932 in Grant City, he was the son of the late John William Ray and Mary (Addison) Ray Bolen.
Mr. Ray was a 1951 graduate of Knightstown High School. He served as a Corporal in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean War where he was stationed in Germany. He was employed at Delco Remy in Anderson for 46 years as a tool room machinist. His hobbies included woodworking, photography, traveling and Southern gospel music. He also enjoyed working with flowers in the plantation garden that he built for his wife. He took pride in working with his Percheron horse team with which he won several first places in parades.
He was a member of the Shirley Masonic Lodge #531 F&AM as well as the Indiana and National Percheron Associations. He was a member of the Wilkinson Church of Christ where he served as a deacon and was a member of the Joyful Saints.
Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Phyllis (Thompson) Ray, whom he married October 6, 1951; one son, Rick (wife Nicky) of Shirley; three daughters, Sheryl of Wilkinson, Penny of Shirley, and Ginger (husband Scott) of Knightstown; five grandchildren, Benjamin Elias (Eli) Ray, Jordan Rebecca Ray, Seth William Ray, Alexis Brooke Atkins and Irina Isabella Ray; and one brother, Dr. Thomas (wife Pat) Ray of Muncie.
Funeral services were held at the Wilkinson Church of Christ on Tuesday, February 10 with ministers Jon Day and Russell Lutes officiating. Burial was in McCray Cemetery in Wilkinson.
Visitation was held Monday, February 9 at the Condo & Son Funeral Home in Wilkinson.
James M. Ferguson
May 20, 1923 – Feb. 2, 2004
James M. Ferguson, 80, of Knightstown, died Monday, February 2 at Hancock Memorial Hospital in Greenfield. He was born May 20, 1923 in Rush County, the son of the late Samuel and Lillie (Vogel) Ferguson.
Jim lived south of Mays until 1968 when he moved to Englewood, Fla. The Fergusons left Florida in 1981 and moved to Knightstown. He worked for 18 years for GTE as a lineman and indoor maintenance retiring in 1968. He was a member of the Center Christian Church where he had been a Deacon, and a past member of the Raleigh F&AM. In earlier years, Jim was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and a WW II Army veteran serving in the European Theater.
Survivors include his wife, Doris (Adams) Ferguson, whom he married July 10, 1943; three sons, Bill Ferguson of Hihari, Ga., Tom Ferguson of Rush County, and John Ferguson of Port Charlotte, Fla.; one daughter, Diane (husband Tom) John of Shelby County; two brothers, Howard Ferguson of Dayton, Ky. and Charles Ferguson of Ft. Myers, Fla.; one sister, Emalene Stearns of Connersville; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services were held Thursday, February 5 at Moster & Cox Mortuary in Rushville with Bill Worrell officiating. Burial was in the Center Cemetery.
Visitation was held at the funeral home Wednesday, February 5.
The family has requested that memorial contributions be made to American Heart, American Diabetes or American Cancer Society.
Emma R. Morris
Feb. 4, 1903 – Feb. 7, 2004
Emma R. Morris, 101, died Saturday, February 7 in Americare of New Castle. She was born February 4, 1903 in Hancock County, a daughter of the late Perry Franklin and Lorena (Sosbe) Brooks.
Mrs. Morris was a 1922 graduate of Vernon High School in Vernon. The homemaker was a member of the Wilkinson Church of Christ.
Survivors include four daughters, Betty (husband Carlos) House-Baugh of New Castle, Cara West of New Castle, Patricia Bell of Circleville, Ohio, and Maxine Thompson of Waverly, Ohio; one son, Robert L. Morris of Knightstown; 13 grandchildren, Gary Joe Morris, Bill Thompson, Mary Jean Altman, Bill House, Kay House-Clark, Lisa Roush, Nancy Staker, Patty Blankenship, Linda Williams, David West, Carolyn West, Thomas West and Bobby Joe West; several great-grandchildren and several great-great-grandchildren; two sisters, Louise Carter of Colorado Springs, Colo. and Beulah Whitfield of Flemingsburg, Ky.; one brother, Ted Brooks of Ft. Myers, Fla.; a daughter-in-law, Helen Morris Knightstown; several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Herman Calvert Morris who died January 8, 1969; a son, Joseph E. Morris; four sons-in-law, John W. House, Charles W. Thompson, David West and Virgil Bell; two sisters, Mary Smith Welch and Elizabeth Rust; one brother, Lowell Brooks; and great-granddaughter, Christina Lang.
Services were held Tuesday, February 10 at Hinsey-Brown Funeral Service with Rev. Solomon David officiating. Burial was in Glen Cove Cemetery in Knightstown.
Visitation was held at the funeral home Monday, February 9.
Arthur O. Granger
Apr. 29, 1913 – Feb. 11, 2004
Greensboro resident, Arthur O. Granger, 90, died Wednesday, February 11 at his residence. He was born April 29, 1913 in Anderson, the son of the late William and Anna (Hilton) Granger.
Mr. Granger retired, after 44 years of service, from P Q Chemicals in Anderson. He had also worked for 21 years at Beckers in New Castle and 20 years at Mt. Lawn Speedway. He was a member of the Greensboro Friends Church, the Kennard and Straughn Brotherhood and Sisterhood and past member of the Greensboro Volunteer Fire Dept. Arthur was an avid gardener.
Surviving are three sons, David H. (wife Athena) Granger of Anderson, Steve D. (wife Ann) Granger of Jackson, Ga., and Art A. (wife Lee) Granger of Greensboro; one daughter, Vera C. (husband Keith) Condon of Alexandria; 19 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren; one brother, Donald Granger of Anderson; and several nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death were his wife, Carole Granger in 1977; two daughters, Joyce Ann Smith and Patty Lewis; one son, Larry Lee Granger; two brothers, Dean and William Granger; and four sisters, Helen Kisler, Mary Baker, Vera Beinert and Lois Straw.
Funeral services were held Saturday, February 14 at the Greensboro Friends Church with Rev. Mark Simmerman officiating. Burial was in Glen Cove Cemetery in Knightstown.
Visitation was held at the Condo & Son Funeral Home in Wilkinson Friday, February 13.
Charles Brackman
Dec. 5, 1911 – Feb. 10, 2004
Charles Brackman, 92, died Tuesday, February 10 at Regency Place in Greenfield. He was born December 5, 1911 in Minier, Ill., a son of the late Henry and Ernestina (Bluhm) Brackman.
Mr. Brackman, a farmer, had lived in Rush County since 1961. He had previously lived in Johnson County and in Illinois. From 1950-60, he was a contractor in the Johnson County area. He was a member of the Sexton Christian Church and was a preaching elder from the Sexton and Fairview Christian Churches. He started the Fair Haven Christian Church in his farmhouse in Trafalgar. In his retirement, he was an active woodworker and carver as well as an avid gardener.
Surviving are his wife, Pauline Brackman, whom he married November 14, 1934; three sons, Charles Alan Brackman, Muncie, James Edward Brackman and Joseph Michael “Mike” Brackman of New Palestine; one daughter, Marilyn (husband Richard) Dunn of Rushville; one sister, Pearl (husband Arthur) Rinkenburger, Gridley, Ill.; 18 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
Six brothers and one sister preceded him in death.
Funeral services were held Friday, February 13 at Moster & Cox Mortuary with Brian Smith officiating. Burial was in East Hill Cemetery, Rushville.
Visitation was held Friday, February 13 from noon until time of service at the mortuary.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Alzheimer’s Unit at Regency Place in Greenfield.
Tommye-Sue Coffman
July 27, 1964 – Feb. 9, 2004
Tommye-Sue Coffman, 39, a resident of Spiceland, died Monday, February 9 in Regency Place Healthcare Center in Greenfield. She was born July 27, 1964 in Greenfield, a daughter of Loyd Thomas and Connie (Patton) Coffman of Spiceland.
Miss Coffman had worked at Raintree Industries in New Castle and was a member of the Dunreith Christian Church.
Survivors include her parents; one sister, Shar’ron (husband Joe) Cripps of Spiceland; one brother, Brock (wife Diane) Coffman of Spiceland; paternal grandmother, Mary Coffman of Spiceland; maternal grandmother, Marie Patton-Harlan (husband John) of Shirley; two nieces, Lacy Cripps and Bailey Coffman, both of Spiceland; two nephews, Kyle Cripps and Bruce Coffman, both of Spiceland; three aunts, Jackie (husband Bill) Mathews of Indianapolis, Judy (husband Ronnie) Harrison of Greenfield, and Sue (husband Dave) Martin of Greenville, S.C.
She was preceded in death by paternal grandfather, Loyd Coffman; maternal grandfather, James Patton; one uncle and aunt, Ron and Barbara Patton; and a cousin Ryan Martin.
Funeral services were held Friday, February 13 in the Condo & Son Funeral Home with Kenton Smith officiating. Burial was in McCray Cemetery in Wilkinson.
Visitation was held at the funeral home Thursday, February 12.
