Page 24 2023 Hometown HEROES Magazine LINCOLN DAILY NEWS May 2023 his girls and his wife now of over 30 years, Valerie. He couldn’t stay away from his passion for coaching and sports entirely; Mr. Cooper still volunteers to referee football and umpire fast pitch softball games to this day! He remained teaching government and history through the 2023 school year, promoting teamwork in class as he once did on the field. He has been a very active member in the Hoi Crappie Club, participating in tournaments for several years, as well as going fishing with his family (especially his grandson), past students, and friends. He is always more than willing to welcome others into his home. The Cooper’s also lend a helping hand in many community and student fundraising events by volunteering their time or donating to the cause. Back in the summer of 2017, Mr. Cooper was one of the cooks that prepared 1,000 sausage patties for the Railsplitter Football Breakfast! Additionally, for several years they owned a Christmas Tree farm. Mrs. Cooper shared that often, Mr. Cooper would spend all summer long preparing the trees for winter, just so families could pick out their special one. Now, you may find him mowing his neighbor’s lawns or hosting fish fries with previous students and family. As a teacher, Mr. Cooper often shared stories about his dad, fishing trips, and experiences/ lessons he learned as a father. Class discussions would start in the subject matter, and almost always include a life lesson. He was always open to new perspectives, ideas, and opinions from his class. Students enjoyed asking Mr. Cooper about his day and his life, and he would consistently tell his tales. I have fond memories of Mr. Cooper halting discussions because of someone's demeanor or a comment they made and turning the conversation into one about reasons to work hard, love unconditionally, and stand up for yourself. He always told us that we were tough, to keep our heads up, and that we were gifted and talented in whatever our interests were. Mrs. Cooper told me in our interview that Mr. Cooper’s students quickly became an extension of his family, which matches up with the interviewed students’ feelings. Many students were actually quite excited to talk to me about Mr. Cooper, and although I had never written an article for the paper before, I knew this had to be my first one. While not every student is going to like a teacher, the chosen students (and most of the ones I knew) had nothing but positivity to detail. Orion Decker is a former student through Mr. Cooper’s ‘American Government’ class. She recalls, “There was a point in time I didn't think I was good enough to be a nurse, but Mr. Cooper always told me I could do it and more. He always told me I had the heart for nursing and that I should believe in myself. Him saying that has stuck with me today and I remember it every time I'm in a rough spot. He made me believe I could accomplish my dreams!” Orion now is pursuing her nursing dreams through Illinois State University. Liam Luken reminisced on a particularly favorite moment of his from his Civics class. “At the very end of my senior year, the last time I had class with him, he showed a video titled "wear sunscreen," which was (essentially) a video telling people to take care of themselves. He cried near the end of it, telling us how much he genuinely cared for all of us and the class of '21.” Past student Katie Hackwith had much love to share in her interview. She wrote, “Coop saw the potential in everyone. He strove to Continued --
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