Betty Lou Cooper

Betty Lou Vavra Cooper died Saturday, January 28, 2017 in Brigham City, Utah, of natural causes. She was 91. She was born July 21, 1925 in Omaha, Nebraska, to Luke and Bertha Sappingfield Vavra.

Betty spent her childhood in Walthill, Nebraska, and moved to Utah at age 18. She married John Henry Wickham, II on October 30, 1944 and the couple had four children: Gloria, John, Julie, and Beverly. Following their divorce, Betty married James Cooper on November 22, 1967 in Salt Lake City. The couple was later sealed in the St George, Utah, LDS Temple.

Betty was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1944 at the age of 18. She received vocational training at the National Defense Training School in Walthill, Nebraska, to learn aircraft sheet metal assembly. She also attended vocational school in Salt Lake City for wire preparation and completed a course in electrical assembly for Sperry Rand where she worked for several years. With all her knowledge, she loved being a homemaker most of all. Her family was the focal point of her life. She was constantly working on projects for her children and grandchildren.

When she married her husband Jim, she was finally able to live the life she always wanted. She loved Panguitch and loved the farm life. Betty had many interests and talents. She had a special love for horses but she also loved her farm animals. She always had ducks, geese, chickens and turkeys. She was an amazing quilter. Her quilts won several blue ribbons. She also enjoyed cake decorating, reading, gardening, embroidery work, crafts, sewing and cooking. She would make several loaves of bread at a time and give them to her friends and neighbors!

Betty always said "if you aren’t working you need to volunteer somewhere". She lived by that. Over the years she volunteered at the visitor center, the senior center, the food bank, and served as a member of the Five County Association of Governments Area Agency on Aging.

She is survived by her three daughters: Gloria Olds, Julie (Bob) Sawyer, and Beverly (Gary) Shellabarger; 15 grandchildren, and 51 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Cooper; son, John Henry Wickham, III; and two grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 12:00 Noon at the LDS Bountiful 33rd Ward Chapel, at 51 S Main Street, Bountiful, Utah, where friends may call after 11:00 a.m. A second viewing will be held on Thursday, February 2, from 11:00-11:45 am at the LDS Panguitch 2nd Ward building, 200 North 400 East, Panguitch, Utah. Interment will follow at the Panguitch Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary, Richfield, Salina and Manti. Online guestbook at www.maglebymortuary.com

The family would like to thank the Gables Assisted Living and Access Hospice (both in Brigham City) for the loving care they gave Betty.