Mariam Cooper

Our beloved mother, Mariam Phillips Cooper passed away on September 12, 2009 at her home in Centerville, Utah. She was born in Smithfield, Utah on December 24, 1919 to Levi David Phillips and Ella Johnson. She lived the first two years of her life in Springville, Utah and then the rest of her formative years in Smithfield. Her father and uncle operated the Smithfield Bakery, and Mariam’s early years were spent helping there. She spoke of watching and helping her father make bread, sweet rolls, cakes, candy, chocolates, and taffy. She must have watched very carefully, because later in life she was well known for her culinary skills. She attended schools in Smithfield, North Cache High School in Richmond and LDS Business College in Salt Lake City. During her life she was employed at the ASCS office in Logan, the Commercial National Bank in Smithfield, as a rural mail carrier in Wellsville and at Clearfield Cheese Company in Wellsville. In 1949 a neighbor in Smithfield set her up on a blind date with the neighbor’s younger brother, which led to her marriage on February 7, 1950 to Henry Scales Cooper of Wellsville, Utah. Mariam moved to Wellsville in 1950 to join Henry and lived there until 1999. She loved Cache Valley and was often heard to say, &qoute;There’s no place prettier.&qoute; In 1999, she moved to Centerville, Utah to be nearer some of her children and resided there for the remainder of her life. Mariam and Henry have five children, 23 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. Mariam’s life was one of service to others. When she and Henry married, they made their home with Henry’s mother and cared for her through the last years of her life. Later, they took Mariam’s mother into their home and gave her the same loving care. As Henry’s health failed for many years, Mariam lovingly cared for him. Many, many people have been touched by her unfaltering service to others. She was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, serving in many capacities and spent several years working in the Logan Temple. She was also a longtime member of the Peter Maughan Chapter of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers and was very proud of her pioneer heritage. She loved to read. Her house is filled with books that include her beautifully handwritten comments in the margins. Mostly, her children and grandchildren will remember her as a wonderful mother, the wonderful meals, the special Christmas Eve birthday parties and her famous &qoute;Mariam’s rolls.&qoute; She shared the recipe for those rolls, and although some came very close to duplicating them, the magic of her hands creating &qoute;Mariam’s rolls’&qoute;is now gone. We will all miss you…and those rolls. The family would like to thank the many friends, neighbors and caregivers that have been so kind and loving to Mariam. Mariam was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Henry, two brothers, Joseph and Emerson and a sister, Ella.

She is survived by her brother, David L. Phillips Smithfield, her children Rodney and Deanna Cooper Bend, Oregon, Ella Jean Cooper Centerville, MaryAnn and Steve Fitzwater Dubois, Idaho, Phil and Suzanne Cooper Salt Lake City, James and Leona Cooper Centerville and Deanne Cooper Centerville, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Funeral services will be held Friday, September 18th at 10:00 a.m. at the Centerville Third Ward Chapel, 900 South 400 East, Centerville, Utah. Viewings will be held on Thursday, September 17th from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Russon Brothers Mortuary, 295 North Main, Bountiful, Utah and also preceding the funeral services from 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. at the Centerville Third Ward. Interment will be at the Wellsville City Cemetery, 400 North 200 East, Wellsville, Utah. A short graveside service will be held Friday at 2:00 p.m. at the Wellsville Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends contributing to the Utah Down Syndrome Foundation Davis County Buddy Walk: www.firstgiving.com/leonacooper